The Most Tiring Part of Love and Desire
by Scarred Rose
Summary: An incubus is running loose at the Magdalan Order, and it's borrowing a certain demon's form to do its dirty work.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone!

Yes, two stories at once. Just cuz I can :P

This one is going to be bizarre, I warn you now. I really don't remember where the thought popped into my head from, but I decided to run with it.

So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Scarred Rose doesn't own Chrno Crusade.

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It was 8:30 A.M. at the New York branch of the Magdalene order, and all of the late-risers had finally shuffled down to breakfast. Yawning and grumbling about the rainy morning, they joined the nuns and priests who actually enjoyed getting up early, and all dug in to their meals. The very last pair to make it down to the food, as usual, was an irritated looking blonde girl closely followed by a short, purple-haired boy in a red coat. Said purple-haired boy was currently nursing one whopper of a lump on his head, and trying not to giggle at the memory of how he'd woken Rosette up that morning. He could tell that if he laughed now, he'd just get a matching bump on the other side of his head courtesy of the angry nun.

Rosette wordlessly grabbed a tray and stalked off towards the food while Chrno made towards the beverages. He grabbed a steaming mug of black coffee for himself, and a big glass of orange juice for his partner, and then picked out a table and sat down. When he was seated, the little demon crossed his arms behind his head and slid down in his chair, letting a contented smile cross his face. This quickly turned into a smirk as he allowed himself a little chuckle about that morning. Apparently, Rosette did not like waking up to find the Elder leering at her. It had only been a picture, but the look on her face had still been priceless. Unfortunately, the rage she normally would have directed against the perverted old man had befallen Chrno instead. Oh well, it was definitely worth it.

"And just what exactly is so funny?" Rosette's voice cut through his memories.

_Ooops, she caught me._ The demon thought, and quickly made up an excuse.

"Uh, just remembering the look on Sister's Kate's face yesterday when I had to break into the office to keep her from strangling you." He answered weakly, cracking one eye open to look up at his partner.

"Humph." She responded. "Dirty old hag…"

Chrno let a sigh of relief blow out of his lungs and sat back up in his chair. Breakfast was on, and luckily for him nothing made Rosette happier than eating. A few of the other nuns came and joined their table, and soon Rosette was gleefully conversing with them just like a normal person. Well, as normal as a person who didn't chew their food all the way before trying to swallow it could be. Chrno watched them with amusement, letting the subject of their discussion slide past him. Knowing the crowd at the table it was either demon-hunting exploits, the severity of Sister Kate's punishments, or the latest cute boy one of them had seen. Of course, each of these discussions always eventually became blown way out of proportion. A legion would become a fully-fledged two-horned demon, one week of dish-duty would become a month of cleaning the entire cafeteria with a toothbrush, and some guy with a nice smile would somehow turn into a glowing god.

He didn't really care what they were talking about this morning, and so passed the time fiddling with his cereal and watching Rosette. Suddenly, she was looking at him with a mean grin and he snapped back to reality.

"What?" Chrno asked, wondering what kind of torture was about to befall him.

"Oh nothing," Rosette answered, letting her expression turn deceptively casual. "It's just that it looks like Sister Margaret finished breakfast early. I think she's gonna come over here and talk to us." She gave a wicked grin. "And it looks like that's the only seat left." She pointed at the empty chair next to Chrno, and then broke into a few giggles.

"…Oi." Chrno suddenly became fascinated by the cereal in his bowl, and sank a bit lower in his chair. Sister Margaret had started flirting with him a few weeks ago, and her attentions were becoming a bit unbearable for the poor little demon.

At first, Rosette had been pretty pissed about it, not that she'd actually tell Chrno that or anything, but once she saw how uncomfortable it made him, she decided she'd let it go on. After all, Chrno needed to squirm sometimes considering all of the creative ways he had chosen to wake her up over the years. A little vein popped in her forehead as she remembered this particular morning's wakeup. It had been especially disturbing due to the nature of the dream she'd been having right before waking up… this brought a flush to her cheeks and she decided to stop thinking about it.

"Good morning everyone!" Crowed Sister Margaret as she approached the table.

"Hi, Margaret!"

"Good morning!"

They all greeted each other warmly, and Chrno's interest in his cereal intensified tenfold as the sister came to a stop right behind his chair. She put her hands on the back of the chair and leaned forward to talk to the other girls, luckily pausing right before her bosom and his head had an unfortunate meeting.

"Oh hi Chrno," she giggled, a slight blush rising to her face. "I didn't see you down there."

_Damn it all…_ "Hi Margaret." Chrno forced out in a subdued voice. "How are you doing today?"

"Oh, I'm just great!" She answered with a beam. "How's everyone here?"

The sisters at the table all answered more-or-less fine, Chrno reluctantly setting his empty bowl on the table in front of him and seriously considering sliding under the table to escape.

"And how about you, Ku-ro-no?" Margaret inquired with a big smile and an even bigger blush.

Gah, Chrno hated it when she said his name like that. _Okay, new rule. The only person that says my name that way and lives is Rosette_. Speaking of Rosette, Chrno chanced a glance at her over the table. She was obviously biting down hard on her tongue to keep from laughing, and sent him back an evil wink. _Oh, just you wait. You'll get yours tomorrow morning_. Chrno thought, but was abruptly shaken back to life by Margaret's voice.

"Ku-ro-noo," She began pleadingly, with a slight pout on her face, "Why do you ignore me so much during the day?"

Chrno turned his chin up to look at her and managed a "Huh?"

The little pout got a bit bigger, and then suddenly cleared up entirely. In its place grew a small smile.

"Fine, I get it." She said coolly, "But I'm not going to hide our love anymore."

Chrno had enough time to let the phrase _our love_ flow through his head one more time before Sister Margaret had grabbed the sides of his face and leaned down, planting a surprisingly good kiss on his lips.

_Ack!_ His mind screamed out at him as he felt her start to suck on his bottom lip. _Do something!_ But before he could spark his body into action she had broken the kiss and straightened back up. Touching his forehead lightly with her pointer finger, she said

"Be seeing you."

And then spun on her heel and walked away. Slowly, Chrno lowered his chin to face the rest of the table with a very confused expression. All of the formerly noisy girls were dead silent, and most of them had their mouths hanging open slightly in disbelief. However, one of them, Sister Clara, who was sitting next to the little demon looked like she was about ready to burst into tears. She suddenly stood up, letting her chair crash to the floor behind her, and slapped Chrno hard enough to throw him out of his chair.

"H-how DARE you!" She sputtered, casting his fallen form a tear-filled look of death before racing out of the room.

Chrno was on his back seeing stars and highly perplexed. Through the throbbing of his head, he managed to hear two other girls in the room gasp loudly before getting up to leave. He placed a hand on his head and quietly muttered something about too many blows to the head in one day. Sitting up, he noticed that the entire room had fallen silent and everyone was staring at him.

_Great. Now what?_

Before the demon had time to think about what had just happened Rosette was by his side helping him up. She gave him a worried look.

"Do you know what's going on here?" She asked quietly.

The poor battered demon shook his head, and immediately regretted it as the room started spinning around him. "No idea."

Frowning, Rosette helped him out of the dining hall and up to her room so they could talk in private.

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Ok, I sense a general confusion. This is good. All will be explained eventually, and the plot will become convoluted and full of holes. But heck, it'll still be a fun story.

Please review and have a happy day!

SR


	2. Chapter 2

Hi all

Happy Holidays!

Alright, new chapter up. Remarkably, not much happens, though I did manage a completely unintentional bit of fluff at the beginning. I started writing, and it just kinda came out. Apologies for grammatical errors, I didn't proofread too well cuz of beingbusy with Christmas dinners and whatnot.

Yay! I got 2 reviews!

For being the first reviewer of this story, I must award MisoGirl a big chocolate chip cookie that shines like justice.

For being the second reviewer, DethFan88 (...am I going crazy, or did you change your name?) a big chocolate chip cookie that shines like... um... my truck after I wax it. Sorry, not as glamorous, but still damn tasty. And I'm calculusbird on AIM, but you won't be able to catch me there till the middle of January. Long story.

Disclaimer: Scarred Rose doesn't own Chrno Crusade... would have an addition to her harem if she did tho ;)

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"So, you really have no idea what's going on?" Rosette asked, running her fingers through Chrno's hair.

"Well, something's definitely happening. But I'm clueless." He responded slowly through the dreamy smile on his face. "And right now, I really don't care what it is."

After the incident in the dining hall, Rosette had dragged her dazed companion up to her room. She had suddenly felt pretty bad for clobbering him earlier that morning, especially considering he'd just been slapped silly by one of the gentlest nuns in the convent. So once they were safely in her room she had sat down on her bed, pulling him down so his head was resting in her lap. She had then loosened the braid, and begun massaging his scalp.

Needless to say, the little demon was in heaven. He always loved when Rosette played with his hair, but it rarely happened more than once a day. Right now he was in a state of complete relaxation, eyes closed, hands resting on his stomach, and a deep rumbling purr spilling out of his chest.

Rosette let a small blush rise to her cheeks at his last comment, not having to worry about him seeing it due to his trance-like state. She loved making him purr…

"But I bet we'll be hearing about it later on today…" Chrno murmured, "So it's probably not worth…" He trailed off as the rumbling of his chest grew a bit louder.

"Not worth what?" Rosette prompted with a small grin, fingers lightly trailing over his ears.

"…Um…" Was all the response she got.

The nun mentally giggled and moved her hands away from the demon's ears, instead going for a spot directly above them. Gently sliding her fingers under his bandana, she rubbed the spots his horns would grow from if he was in his true form… and if he still had them. This always turned him to pudding.

"So Chrno," Rosette asked, enjoying the completely relaxed look on his face, "How was that kiss anyway?"

A slight frown came over his face, but it only stayed a few seconds.

"Let's not talk about Sister Margaret when I'm in my happy place. Why didn't you clobber her anyway?" His voice was still a bit distracted, but there was a note of curiosity in it.

Rosette felt her stomach drop a bit. _Whatever you do, don't panic!_ "Why would I beat up one of my fellow sisters? I'm not as violent as the people around here seem to think, ya know." She said a bit forcefully, praying he wouldn't open his eyes and see the pink she felt creeping up her neck.

"I dunno. Its just you always fight with Satella when she goes all gooey on me…" He responded airily, waving one of his hands slightly.

"And when am I not fighting with Satella over something?" Rosette answered a little too quickly.

"Seriously Chrno, it's not like I'm overly possessive of you or anything." She swiftly pulled her fingers out of his hair, and in one fluid motion had pushed him up to a seated position and grabbed a brush off of her nightstand.

"Let's stop wasting time, we've got chores to do." When Chrno tried to look at her to see what had prompted her sudden emotional 180, she had started to rapidly, and somewhat viciously braid his hair, causing him to snap his head forward again. Letting him have a look at her face was about the last thing she wanted right now.

The next few minutes passed in silence as Rosette fervently wished the blush off of her face, and Chrno mulled over his day so far. He decided it could pretty much be summed up in one word: weird.

As soon as Rosette had tied off the yellow ribbon at the bottom of the braid, three loud knocks sounded at her door.

_Whew, saved by the door_. She thought to herself, and then called out a loud "Come in!"

The heavy door slowly swung open to reveal a very grim-looking Father Remington. Rosette sank down a bit behind Chrno. It wasn't so much that you could see the anger in his face as that you could feel it washing off of him in waves, and it made her a bit nervous. Without a word to either of them, Remington strode forward, picked Chrno up by his collar, and quickly turned and left, dragging the unfortunate, and now choking, demon behind him.

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"Where were you last night?"

The question was spoken quietly enough, but it echoed through Sister Kate's office as if it had been shouted. The silence that followed was practically palpable as Chrno shifted uncomfortably in his spot in the middle of the room.

"Um, sleeping." He said after a moment's pause. "In my room."

The poor demon wasn't sure who to direct his answer to. Sister Kate had asked the question from her usual position behind her desk, hands folded in front of her face. But her eyes were downcast and she wouldn't look at him. The Elder was in Remington's customary spot looking out one of the large windows and sipping a cup of strong-smelling tea, also keeping his gaze averted. In fact, the only person in the room who was looking at Chrno, more like boring a hole through his chest with his eyes, was Father Remington, who was seated in one of the room's large chairs. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and the bottom half of his face hidden by his hands.

_If looks could kill…_ the demon thought nervously. _This must be pretty bad._

Taking a deep breath, he was about to ask the room at large exactly what he was standing trial for before Sister Kate interrupted with another inquiry.

"How about the last month?" She asked in the same eerily calm tone of voice as the first words she had spoken, "Can you account for your whereabouts every night?"

Chrno blinked in surprise. This was getting interesting.

"Well, most nights I'm sleeping." He began cautiously, "But if I can't sleep I'll get up and take a walk. The weather's nice this time of year." He tried a small smile, but one glance at Remigton withered that right off of his face. He looked down and continued, "I can't tell you exactly which nights I was doing what, if that's what you're asking."

Sister Kate nodded slightly, and silence reigned in the room once again. Chrno waited, trying to look as calm and innocent as possible. He suddenly found himself wishing for the presence of that infernal pocket watch. At least its ticking would give him something to listen to. When the quiet became a bit too much for his nerves to bear, he decided to try to find out his situation again.

"Excuse me, Sister Kate. What is going on here?" He asked politely.

For a few seconds nobody answered, but then a silent glance passed between Sister Kate and Remington and the man removed his hands from his face. Without taking his eyes off Chrno, he cleared his throat and began.

"After the scene at breakfast this morning I went to find the girls that left the dining hall. All of them told me that they had been getting a nighttime visitor over the last few weeks, and that this person was performing acts with them that should not go on in a house of God." After this sentence, his tone became more clipped. "They said that they wouldn't come forward about it earlier because they were afraid of losing their positions here in the convent. And all of them say that this visitor is you, Chrno."

The demon swallowed hard and blinked several times. He wanted desperately to profess his innocence, and began mentally listing reasons why it couldn't possibly be him. However, he knew enough to keep his mouth shut in a situation like this. Instead, he opted for a slight nod to show that he was listening.

"The one thing that has caused us to give you the benefit of the doubt here is that all of the girls describe you in an older body. You do have another false form that you use, correct?"

Chrno nodded, and briefly transformed, just long enough for a glimpse of his older, taller body.

After shrinking back down, he said "I have that form but I don't use it. It needs more astral to keep it going than this one, and the more astral I use, the less time Rosette has. In fact," He looked like he was thinking for a moment, and then continued. "It couldn't have been me. Rosette would have noticed the time used up on the watch."

"Yes, but we all know that a demon can draw power for parlor tricks like that from many different sources." Said the Elder, taking another sip of his tea. "It's not that we don't believe you boy, just that we don't want to take any chances here."

Sister Kate nodded one more time, and finally looked up at Chrno, who felt his insides go to jelly at the intensity of her gaze.

"Luckily, none of the girls have broken their virginity vows with this person yet." Her voice still held that oddly calm tone. Chrno wished she'd just scream at him like she did to Rosette, that he knew how to handle. "With a great deal of repentance, they will be able to continue their work here. However, I know all of these sisters, and I do not believe that they would engage in …activities… like this of their own free will. Whoever this person is, he has a great ability to influence the minds of others. I believe that talent is one of the specialties of upper level demons. Am I mistaken?"

Chrno winced and nodded, shrinking a bit under her icy gaze.

"Chrno. You understand that it was my decision and mine alone to let you stay, don't you?" The demon quietly agreed. "I allowed a demon to live freely in this convent. Any actions, good or bad, that result from you being here rest directly on my head. We want to believe that you are innocent in this case. I want to believe that you are a good person. However, if there is any reason to doubt your integrity in this case I will have no hesitations against seeing to it that you meet your end. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am."

Sister Kate closed her eyes and took her glasses off so she could rub her temples. Seeing that she was finished speaking, Remington took over.

"You're confined to your room for the rest of the day, and you are not to speak about the nature of this situation to anyone. You are also forbidden from seeing Rosette until we can sort this thing out." He paused to collect his thoughts. "And you are spending tonight with me, so we can prove your innocence. If you are innocent."

Chrno looked at the floor and nodded his agreement.

"Dismissed."

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Ooooooo... Remington's scary when he's mad...

Sorry bout the lack of content, things will pick up next chapter when we get our first look at Chrno's impersonator.

Till then, Please Review and have a happy day!

SR


	3. Chapter 3

Hello all:)

Alright, here comes the chapter that makes the fic deserve its rating. But nothing too terribly explicit, sorry.

I appologize in advance, as I don't quite like this chapter. Dunno why, just had a heck of a time getting everything to sound right. It's still not exactly how I'd like it to be, but it's better than it was. The good thing is I got about 8 inches of hair chopped off today, so while all of my strength is now gone, a great weight has also been lifted off my brain. So hopefully, the creative juices will flow a bit better and the next chapter will be good.

(Hugs reviewers)

Ok, on with it.

Disclaimer: Scarred Rose doesn't own Chrno Crusade.

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The usual sounds of convent life filtered through the window to Chrno's room, but they were lost to his pointed ears; as was the warmth of the afternoon sun as it played across his bed. The window was always left open to let in the fresh spring air, and normally he enjoyed sitting by it and watching the people move about below him. But right now, he was dead to the world, lying on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head and eyes closed. The little demon was deep in thought, trying to come up with an explanation for the strange occurrences that had been taking place with a select few of the convent's sisters.

At first, his mind had rifled through all of the demons he knew of that would be interested in invading a convent to fool around with nuns. This actually turned up a good number of matches, however, he had personally killed most of them during the escape from Pandemonium. He figured that the remaining ones were either too stupid to pull something like this off without being caught, or still afraid of him. After all, any demon with an intact nose would smell Chrno as soon as they set foot on the church's grounds, and this was enough to deter most of the lower level demons in the area. As for the upper level ones that had a grudge against him, they were much more likely to come after him directly than to try to ruin his name. Generally speaking, physical violence was vastly preferred to subtlety in demon affairs.

So, crossing demons off the list, he moved on to ghosts, sprites, and other wicked nasties that were known to like human women. He couldn't think of any specific entities, and besides, these types of critters were usually tied down to one place. The only thing that would make sense given the situation would be an incubus, but he had never known of one that could shape-shift. Also, icubi got their kicks from sex, not just playing around.

He had then forced himself to consider the possibility that he was actually the one responsible for the incidents. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he had done something and not been able to remember it the next day. Granted, this memory loss usually applied to situations involving massive amounts of killing or drinking, not so much making love.

_God, it has been sooooooooooooo long…_

Face scrunching up, he tried to remember if there had been any indications that he had done something he didn't remember. He had awoken normally each morning, no unusual marks or smells on him. If he had actually been out with these girls, their scent would be all over him, and it would make sense that if he was to visit any of the nuns during the night, Rosette would be the one and only one he'd go to. So, it seemed pretty unlikely that he was responsible for this.

Alright, back to square one. The demon shifted a bit on his bed to get more comfortable before delving into his thoughts again.

Just then, a tentative knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" Chrno asked, knowing full well the answer already.

"Well, you get three guesses, and the first two don't count."

A small smile crept its way onto Chrno's face and he took another whiff of her scent as it flooded his room through the cracks in the door. She smelled good. There was her normal odor and on top of it, something like soap and… what was that? Cinnamon? Weird combination, even for Rosette.

"What were you doing this morning? You smell kinda funny." Too late, he realized that comment might not be appreciated by his hot-headed friend, but she seemed to let it go this time.

"Oh, carrying supplies into the kitchen, and then cleaning up the floor after I spilled a little." She replied absently, Chrno imagined briefly what her 'little spill' must have actually been like and smirked. "Are you gonna make me talk to your door all day Chrno? It's lunchtime, let's go."

He sighed and opened an eye to peer at his door.

"Actually, I'm supposed to stay here. And I'm not supposed to be talking to you, either."

"Why not?"

"I can't tell you on pain of death. Literally."

"Oh." Rosette sounded puzzled. "Does this have to do with that thing at breakfast?"

"Yeah."

The nun was oddly quiet for a few minutes, and Chrno could only tell she was still there by the sound of her breathing and the ticking of the watch. After a while he heard her lean against the door and then slide down it to sit on the ground.

"So what's going on?"

"Like I said, I can't tell you." The demon replied, feeling a bit bad for having to keep things from her.

"Well, whatever it is, did you do it?"

"I don't think so, no." _But I can't be sure…_

"So why are they cooping you up in your room?"

"Sister Kate and Father Remington's orders. Take it up with them." He replied with a small shrug, hoping Rosette wouldn't press him too hard to figure out what was going on. To his surprise, her next words were

"Sister Kate ordered this?"

"Um, yeah." He responded, a bit confused.

"That's not fair." Rosette started quietly, and Chrno winced, beginning to feel the first tremors of what was sure to explode into an earthquake of Rosette Rage.

"Leave it to that old witch to punish you for things that aren't your fault." Her voice started to grow in volume, getting louder with each new word, "That evil hag has had it in for the both of us since we got here! I oughtta go give her a piece of my mind… and my boot! Maybe if I kick her hard enough in the ass it'll jar that big iron rod loose and it'll fall out of–"

"Rosette!" Chrno interrupted before her tirade got too loud. When the girl tried, she could be heard ranting on the other side of the convent. "Why don't you go to lunch, you know you get cranky when you're hungry."

"I am not cranky." She responded through clenched teeth. "I have righteous anger that must find an outlet, and Sister Kate would be perfect!"

"Perfect in that she'd have us both kicked out of the convent?"

"Perfect in the sense that I would feel complete and at peace with the world right before she regained consciousness and kicked us out."

Chrno sighed and chuckled from his spot on the bed, and then cracked his other eye open to look at the door. He was going to be lonely without her.

"Rosette, seriously, go to lunch or we're both gonna get in trouble. And right now, I don't think I can afford to be in any more of a mess."

The girl gave an exasperated sigh, "How long do you have to stay in your room?"

"Until they get this thing figured out." He responded, trying to sound reassuring. "It shouldn't take too long, ok?"

There was silence from the other side of the door for a minute, and then "Alright. I guess I should head to lunch then…"

Chrno nodded, and then realized she couldn't see him. "Yeah. You know how the lines get this time of day."

"Do you want me to bring you anything?" She asked, getting to her feet.

"I think that would fall under the category of 'seeing Rosette' which I'm not supposed to be doing right now." The demon responded, "Besides, I don't really have to eat, you know."

"Well yeah, but food always makes me feel better when I'm a little down."

Chrno smiled a bit. She was worried about how he was feeling…

"I'm fine, thanks. You better get going before anyone sees you here."

"Alright." A hint of defeat was evident in her tone, but she quickly shooed it out. "See you around, Chrno."

"Bye Rosette."

He listened to her footsteps as she quickly walked out of the Elder's hut and then sighed deeply and closed his eyes again, settling back into thinking mode.

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It was 12:30.

Chrno looked around Father Remington's room again, twiddling his thumbs and trying to keep himself from going crazy. He had been led there earlier that night through the men's dormitory, which he'd never had reason to visit before aside from grabbing a shower once in a while. On the way there, Chrno decided that he liked the look and smell of the girls' dorm much better. Plus, Rosette was there. Here, there were only male exorcists that he didn't know, and a pissed off priest who's room he'd be locked inside for the rest of the night. Yep, definitely preferred the girl's hall.

He'd actually been pretty surprised at the first sight of the priest's room. The mood in there, it seemed, was decidedly un-Remington. First of all, it was very sparsely furnished, and everything was a drab brown. This included the bed, dresser, desk, curtains, floor, and the chair in the corner that Chrno was currently occupying. None of the warmth and reassurance that usually flowed from this man was evident in the room's décor, in fact the whole place had about as much personality as a dead fish. The room itself was about one and one half times larger than Rosette's quarters, and was situated on the corner of the building so there were lots of windows. Right now, though, it was nighttime and the curtains were drawn, encasing the room in darkness.

Remington was sitting at his desk going over some reports, his lamp providing the only illumination in the room. It seemed that his bad mood had lifted somewhat, but Chrno could tell he was still a bit suspicious of him. The demon had been there since 9:00, and he wondered if Remington was planning on going to bed anytime soon. He knew he wasn't going to sleep tonight, and was starting to get a bit antsy.

Early on in his stay, Chrno had noticed that when he sat in this chair his feet didn't quite reach the floor, and after a few hours of sitting in this uncomfortable position his legs were in serious danger of falling asleep. As such, he had been spending his time alternately swinging his legs in the air to keep that awful prickling feeling out of them, and drumming his fingers on the arms of the chair to occupy himself. Not many words had passed between the two of them that night, and he still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He hoped absently that the demon, or whatever the hell it was, would visit again tonight so that his name would be cleared and he could be with Rosette again.

Careful what you wish for.

Suddenly, Chrno lurched forward in his chair, grasping at his chest and gasping. It felt like someone had just thrown a ten ton weight on top of him. He went down on his hands and knees, sweat breaking out on his forehead, as he felt something start to tug on his insides. _What is this feeling?_ He thought, gritting his teeth as the sensation steadily grew. It felt like something was draining him… gradually, the sound of the pocket watch ticking away filled his ears, and he sensed that Rosette was in trouble.

"Are you alright, Chrno?"

Remington had gone to Chrno's aid as soon as he had hit the floor, but he wasn't entirely sure how he could help. The whole thing had happened in the span of about thirty seconds, and as he was about to try and move the little demon, one of his hands shot out and grabbed Remington's wrist in a steely grip.

"Rosette" He ground out through gritted teeth, "Something's wrong!"

The priest nodded, and quickly rose, dragging the demon to his feet. Grabbing two loaded guns from a desk drawer and a few vials of holy water from the top of the dresser, Remington quickly rushed out of his room, with Chrno following behind.

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The pair of them had raced across the convent and were now standing outside Rosette's door. Chrno looked like he had just run ten miles and was still grabbing his chest right over his heart. As soon as they had come to a stop he had had to bend over and take several deep, shaky breaths to keep from passing out. Remington hadn't broken a sweat, and was intent on the door, listening for any hints as to what was going on inside.

He was preparing to make a stealthy entrance in hopes of surprising whatever it was within the room, when Chrno rushed forward. He was scared stiff for Rosette, _What could be happening to her?_ and made straight for the door, almost knocking it off of its hinges as he shoved it open.

_So much for the element of surprise…_ Remington grimaced as some of the other doors on the hall began to open, with a few disgruntled nuns sticking their heads out.

"Back inside. Now." He ordered in a calm, but authoritative voice. Most of the sisters obeyed immediately, shooting quick glances at Rosette's door, which was still wide open.

When the other nuns were all safely in their rooms again, the priest rushed to the threshold and almost ran smack into Chrno, who hadn't gotten much farther than a few steps inside. As his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he was able to discern a very large mass on Rosette's bed. Once the image resolved itself, he had to squint to make sure his eyes weren't somehow deceiving him. Below him, a very dangerous sounding growl started up in Chrno's throat.

The sight that had reached both sets of eyes was one of a sleeping Rosette, thankfully still fully clothed, with a shirtless Chrno on top of her, in his true demon body. This Chrno was pinning both of her hands up over her head with his left hand, his right gently squeezing one of her breasts. His bone-tail was wrapped around her torso, and he had a knee shoved tightly into her crotch. But probably the most infuriating thing to the real Chrno was the fact that this imposter was kissing his Rosette.

With a snarl, he dove at the demon daring to violate his contractor, but didn't make contact. Instead, he passed right through the seemingly solid person, and had to do a mid-air flip to land on his feet on the other side of the bed. Growling, Chrno went down on his knees as another attack of that horrible draining sensation came over him.

"Get OFF her!" He forced out, eyes going red and fangs elongating.

The Chrno look-a-like broke the kiss and began running his tongue up and down Rosette's neck, grinding his knee a bit harder into her groin to elicit a gasp of pleasure from the nun. After a few moments he looked down at the snarling demon out of the corner of his eye and smirked.

**No.**

His mouth hadn't moved, but Chrno and Remington had clearly heard the demon's words inside their heads. In a flash, the priest pulled one of the vials of holy water out of his pocket and flung some of its contents at the bed. Just as before, the liquid passed right through the demon and splashed Rosette instead. The real Chrno had to quickly scramble out of the way as some of it dripped off the blankets and almost touched him.

As soon as he was out of the fluid's range, he directed his burning gaze back at the thing on top of Rosette, who was chuckling at the pair's attempts to touch him.

"What are you?" Remington asked, anger clouding his eyes.

The creature ignored him completely, instead looking back down at Rosette and leaning forward to whisper something in her ear as he massaged her breast. A small smile ghosted its way across the girl's lips, and he leaned down to capture her in another kiss. At this action, Chrno was forced completely down to the floor and gave a hiss of pain, writhing as the sensation of something pulling on his heart became almost unbearable. Seeing his friend in trouble, Remington approached the bed and reached out to try and jar Rosette awake.

The demon, however, had simply to open its eyes and glare at the priest to send him flying across the room, where he was slammed hard into a wall. He sank down to the floor, not unconscious but with the wind knocked out of him.

**Now now, gentlemen, I do NOT like being interrupted when I'm working… **his fingers began tracing lightly over Rosette's chest, and a small spark could be seen as they brushed the pocket watch.

**You are both being very impolite, and highly inconsiderate of my needs. Is that any way to treat a guest?**

Ghostly laughter filled Chrno's head as he struggled to get up, claws forming and disappearing on his hands, his flesh tearing apart and melding together at an alarming rate. He fought to keep control of himself, something told him that if he transformed now there would be an even bigger world of trouble. Seeing his labored efforts to rise, the demon broke his kiss again and looked down at him with a smug smile.

**You know, demon, all of the girls here like you. It seems the forbidden fruit is always desirable to humans, doesn't it?**

He gave another short laugh. **But they all resisted, at least on some level of their consciousness. So how lucky was I to find this girl? She seems to have no qualms about seeing a demon in the middle of the night… **he moved his knee out of the way and took his hand off of Rosette's breast, sliding it down her taut abs and then in between her legs… **No objections to letting one touch her in ways that no one has before… at least, that's my assumption demon. You'd know for sure, wouldn't you? **He leaned down and placed a series of kisses on the parts of her chest that were exposed, gently nosing her shirt aside to run his tongue between her breasts.

**They all called out for someone, screamed for some man they fantasize about… **he started rubbing one of her most sensitive areas and her breathing quickened, growing harsh and noisy as he refocused his attention on her neck, licking and nipping his way up to her ear and then nibbling gently on the lobe… **and this one here is moaning for you. **

For emphasis, he suddenly pressed hard between her legs, causing her back to arch and a breathy "Chrno!" to escape her lips before her body went slack, lying back down onto the bed as panting gasps flowed out of her body.

**Ah, done.**

With another smirk, the fake Chrno sat up and released Rosette's hands, turning to face his double, who had been forced to the floor by the terrible weight on his chest. Their eyes locked, golden and red.

"I'll kill you for touching her!" Chrno hissed, unable to speak any louder, but trying to stand so he could face the demon sitting on Rosette's bed.

**I doubt that, little friend. You really have done me a favor, she is so infatuated with you I hardly had to work at all. **

The demon smiled fully this time, eyes narrowing in a derisive smirk.

**Not only that, but I've finally found the person who holds the key to your wretched soul. One day she'll give it to me fully, and I'll have my retribution. **

Chrno's expression became darker as he made it up to his knees, hand again reaching up to clutch at his heart.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want?"

The smile on the demon's face widened. **Well now, that would be telling. Besides, it's so much more fun to watch you squirm. **And with that, he disappeared.

As soon as he was gone, the feelings that had been plaguing Chrno since his first collapse in Remington's room also vanished. The demon cautiously took a few deep breaths, feeling the pain in his heart dissolve away. Slowly, it resumed its normal beating pace, and he shakily got to his feet. Rubbing one his arms across his forehead in an attempt to keep the sweat from running in his eyes, he turned and looked at Remington.

The priest was still slumped against the wall, a pained expression on his face as he pressed a hand to his throbbing head. Their eyes locked for a second, and Chrno realized he was trembling. The priest eventually broke the connection by screwing his eyes shut, an infuriated look passing over his face.

"How the hell are we supposed to fight him if we can't touch him?" He asked in a low voice.

Chrno shrugged, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "No idea."

After a few minutes of silence, the little demon sighed, and walked over to Rosette's bed to rouse her from her slumber. He leaned over her, careful not to touch any of the spots still soaked in holy water.

"Rosette, wake up." He said quietly, trying to sound calm. But it was hard to get the tremor out of his voice, and he didn't really expect her to wake up anyway. He sniffed her scent in deeply, scanning for any traces of someone else's odor. There were none. _So, it isn't corporeal._ He sighed, and looked at her face. It looked like she was still dreaming.

"Rosette," He tried again, a twinge of annoyance in his voice. "Get up."

To his surprise she obeyed, (kind of) suddenly sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Lookingat her face, he registered that she was still partially asleep right before her lips met his in his second surprise kiss in a day. This one was just as startling as the first, but different in that Chrno found himself liking it.

She quickly flopped backdown onto her bed, not breaking either the kiss, or her hold on his neck. The unexpectedness of this action caused the demon to lose his balance, and in an effort not to drop all of his weight on her he reached out to grab onto something. His left hand caught the edge of her nightstand, and his right landed on something round and soft.

_Oh god, don't tell me that's…_

The demon closed his eyes as tightly as he could before slowly cracking open his right one to look at what his hand was sitting on…

_Oh, shit!_ Was the last thought that ran through his mind before he felt the body under him start to stir.

Rosette's eyes slowly opened and stared into the wide red pools in front of her. She tried to frown, but then realized there was something on her mouth. Glancing down, she saw a very distinctive braid and a tanned hand firmly pressed over her left breast.

It was 1:00 in the morning, and the entire hall was abruptly awoken by the sound of several loud crashes and a penetrating yell:

"PERVERT!"

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Poor Chrno... more than likely this is the last chapter I will end with him getting either physically or verbally abused, but I make no promises.

So, next chapter there will be much theorizing about what's going on... and maybe something else. Something shiney. But you'll have to stop back to figure out what it is.

Please Review and have a happy day!

SR


	4. Chapter 4

Hi again!

So, I've had a request. This chapter was going to be longer, and actually have some form of plot development but now you'll have to wait. As it is, I hope you'll derive some form of amusement from it. Oh yeah, and there's a lemon (kind of, I'm cheating. You'll see.)

Many hugs to reviewers.

Disclaimer: SR doesn't own Chrno Crusade. Nope nope.

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Chrno growled loudly in pleasure and looked down at his conquest, savoring the sight of her naked form stretched out before him. He watched her chest heave as he thrusted into her again and again, eliciting deep moans of pleasure from the nun, someone who should have been so far out of a demon's reach. And yet, here she was; golden hair splayed across the pillows behind her, long legs wrapped around his small body, and fingers pressed tightly into his back. Her big blue eyes were half-lidded in a seductive manner, begging him onward and her mouth was parted, rewarding his every action with a pleasing noise.

He licked his lips and ran his hands slowly down the insides of her thighs, trailing his fingertips all the way down to the spot where their hips joined, teasing her. They then traveled up her lithe body, tracing over her full hips and gliding across her taut stomach before meeting with her breasts. They fit her form perfectly, and the demon thrust a bit harder to watch them bounce before taking one in each hand and squeezing, rubbing, gently pinching them. Anything to get a rise out of her, and god did he love the sounds she was making. Whimpers, breathy sighs, moans, and his name interspersed with gentle encouragements, "harder, faster". He was breathing hard himself, growling and purring as he felt every inch of her. She was a lot more flexible than he thought… sexy and tight.

Chrno felt his demon blood rising to the surface, and quickly leaned down as the fangs in his mouth elongated. He ran his tongue from her jaw down to her collar bone, feeling the hunger build inside him, the urge to let loose and rend her soft ivory flesh, to feel his fangs sink in and be met by the warm flow of blood he could hear pumping inside her veins. Gasping with an unusual huskiness, he leaned up to her ear and whispered something.

"Scream."

From there he quickly dropped back down onto her throat, biting into the milky, inviting skin and immediately being rewarded by the release of her warm, delicious blood. The taste drove him wild and he quickened the pace of his thrusts, plunging deep into the girl and listening to her unbridled screams of pleasure. Wicked claws formed at the tips of his fingers, and he tore his left hand off of her breast, snaking it behind her body to hold her shoulder in place as he continued his assault on her neck. He gripped her tightly, drawing five more beads of blood as his claws sank deeply into her skin. After drinking his fill from the spring in her neck, the demon hungrily and swiftly found his girl's lips. They kissed desperately and savagely before she pulled his tongue into her mouth and sucked off the remnants of her blood. He felt her fingers move up his back, digging her nails in to break the skin as she went and he snarled in pleasure at the electricity that the pain sent spiking through his body…

**BOOM!**

"Gah!"

A very startled Chrno sat bolt upright at the loud noise, almost colliding with the Elder who had just clapped his hands an inch from the demon's ear to wake him up. Disoriented, the devil looked around and found himself back in his own room. Just as reality started to set back in, a massive headache swooped in to knock poor Chrno right back onto his bed.

"Urgh…" He muttered, screwing his eyes closed and clamping both hands over the stubs of his horns.

"Feeling alright, son?" The Elder asked, an unusual smile on his face.

Chrno groaned, and tried to put a lucid sentence together through the pounding in his head.

"…Feels like I drank a case of scotch and then got hit by a truck." He mumbled, trying to open an eye but then immediately closing it again as the light seemed to burn him like holy water. "A really big truck."

"Got a headache?" The old man asked, the strange grin getting wider by the second.

"Does Rosette like chocolate?" Chrno wished to god the old man would go away and leave him in the dark to recuperate for a while. Wow, speaking of Rosette that was a really, erm, intense dream. Where the hell did that come from?

"Well, I think part of the headache problem is because some of your blood is being diverted elsewhere at the moment."

Chrno growled, deciding he was in a bad mood and he wanted the Elder to leave. What the hell did he mean by 'blood's being diverted elsewhere' anyway?

Suddenly, the implication dawned on the demon and he quickly sat up again, opening his eyes to glance down at his lower body, currently covered by a thin blanket. Indeed, there was a lone tent pole down there.

"Ack!" The demon turned red and swiftly grabbed his pillow to smother the 'little devil', grimacing as the headache smacked him for sitting up so fast. He shot a withering glance at the Elder, who was bent over laughing harder than Chrno had seen ever seen him before.

"Very funny." Chrno ground out. "If you were another demon I'd have killed you by now."

The old man chanced another glance at Chrno, trying to be serious, but the sight of him sent him off into hysterics again. The demon growled lower, despising his human guise for being so damn young. He could picture himself now, looking for all the world like a twelve-year-old with a hangover; brows furrowed, mouth turned down in what would be considered a scary scowl in his real body, but here was just comical, cheeks still red from the surprise a few seconds ago, and eyes squinting to let in as little light as possible. Combine this with the crazy morning hair and the fact that he was desperately cramming a pillow over his lap to hide his little friend… he supposed he'd laugh too if he'd just gotten a death threat from himself.

With a sigh and a frustrated growl, Chrno decided to wait until the Elder was done before kicking him out of his room. Or rather, ordering him out. He didn't exactly want to stand in his, um, condition and expose anything… again.

When the old man could breathe again, he slowly pulled himself upright and looked down at the irritated demon.

"I was just coming to tell you (gasp) that there's going to be a meeting in Sister Kate's office in about an hour (wheeze) to discuss the nightly problems we're having," He paused to take a shaky breath, ridding himself of the last bits of his merriment. However, after realizing the phrase 'nightly problems' just came out of his mouth he burst into laughter again. Chrno closed his eyes to shut out the light, waiting for the old man to finish and visualizing all of the lower level demons he'd killed in Pandemonium for various and sundry minor offences. Why did humans have to be so nice to each other all the time?

Eventually, the Elder got over his latest giggle fest and continued with his statement. "It's pretty clear from last night that you are not responsible, and we want you there for your input. Do you think you can manage that? Or should I tell everyone that you're occupied?" He grinned evilly, chuckling at the expression on the boy's face.

Chrno grumbled. His patience was shot. "I'll be there." He growled dangerously. "Now get out of my room."

The Elder held his hands up in mock innocence, grinning like the Cheshire cat before exiting the room, pulling the door closed behind him. With the nuisance gone, Chrno flopped back down on his bed, leaving the pillow where it was and covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow. He stayed in this position for several minutes, trying to get the pounding in his head under control.

_Oi… this sucks…_

Eventually, the demon let his thoughts drift back to the dream he'd just had. It was vivid. Apparently vivid enough to get his physical body excited… speaking of which he began to feel himself slowly deflating now that the powerful images and sensations had left his mind.

_Why would I dream that about Rosette? _

_I can't be attracted to her that way… she's…_

_I mean, even if I was I wouldn't… _

_I **couldn't**…_

_I'd never…_

_Damn it, what the hell is wrong with me?_

Before the demon could explore the idea any further there was a knock on the downstairs door and he heard the Elder scurry over to answer it.

_Please don't let that be…_

But the crow of laughter that erupted from the old man as the door swung open confirmed it. It was none other than Sister Rosette Christopher herself. Through the floor, Chrno heard an irate sounding "What the hell is so funny? Did that little pea you call a brain finally roll out your ear?"

"And she's in a wonderful mood." He said, sighing as the Elder's maniacal laughter echoed up the stairs.

"Go right on up, young lady. But if I was you, I'd make sure I knocked first, wouldn't want to see anything to spoil your conception of the universe." The old man's voice called, a bit too loudly.

"Oh, ha ha. Like you've never woken up like this before… In fact I bet this happens to you a lot more often than it happens to me." The demon muttered, doing a quick check under the pillow to make sure everything was back to normal. All systems 'go'.

The ancient stairs creaked as the nun started to make her way up them. About halfway up the sound of an indignant scream and a slap loud enough to shake the rafters reached the demon's ears. He smirked at the noise the Elder made falling back down the staircase. _Revenge is truly the sweetest dish I've ever tasted…_

A moment later, an infuriated and red-faced Rosette barged through Chrno's door, not bothering to knock like she usually did. She was rubbing her ungloved right hand with her left, muttering about perverts and what they could do with their lecherous little fingers. After entering she slammed the door behind her to make sure there weren't any prying eyes and then turned to face the bed.

The look of barely contained rage quickly died as the girl got a look at the demon lying on the bed. He raised the arm pressed to his head slightly and opened his right eye a slit to peer at her.

"Good morning." He said, deciding to play the sympathy card in hopes that she wouldn't pound him again for what happened last night.

"Hey," She said with a hint of concern. "Are you feeling ok?"

"Just a headache." He replied, giving her a small smile. "It's nothing."

"You don't look so good." The nun stated, worry creasing her brow. However, she remained in her spot by the door. This was unusual, in the past any concern about Chrno's health had her superglued to his side for at least the next few days. The demon frowned slightly. _Is she still mad?_

"It'll be alright." Chrno responded. "How about you? I'm not contagious, you know."

The nun flushed, immediately focusing her gaze on the floor.

"I, um, Father Remington told me about what happened last night."

"Oh." Chrno mentally ran through a list of some of the blackest curses he could recall, the distance between them seeming to grow exponentially beyond the few feet separating the bed from the door. _So she is still mad… _

"I guess I'm just kinda embarrassed." She said quietly, seeming to shrink back into herself. "I mean, I thought it was just a dream."

Chrno started. _Embarrassed? _"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Rosette. That … thing, whatever it is, is really strong and it obviously has some pretty scary powers of persuasion." He paused, trying to be reassuring. "I mean, it got Sister Clara into the same position as you. That must've taken some monumental effort."

"It's not that." The girl insisted, eyes still glued to the floorboards. "I… I'm a nun, Chrno. A woman of the Church. I shouldn't be having thoughts like that… especially about a demon. No offense or anything."

Chrno shook his head lightly, indicating it was no problem. "You're absolutely right. A relationship like that would be… wrong."

The words were the truth, and yet it felt like in saying them he was sticking a particularly sharp knife in his heart and wiggling it around. Meanwhile, one of the more cynical voices in his head began laughing hysterically while some of the others started arguing about appropriate relationships with one's contractor. One voice seemed to win out in that moment and became infinitely louder than all of the others:

_SHUT UP!_

_I TOLD you it wasn't meant to be…_

Chrno groaned internally. Yeah, it was better that way…

But why did it hurt so much?

"You know I'm not like that right?" Rosette's voice cut through the demon's musings. When he looked at her, he saw her bottom lip start to tremble. "I mean, I'm not a w-whore."

"No. No, why would you think something like that?" Chrno asked, concern blooming on his face. "You're one of the best people I know, Rosette, I could never think badly of you." The demon totteringly got to his feet and closed the gap between himself and the girl. Gently, he reached out to grab her chin, turning her face to look at him. "What's bothering you?"

Slowly her baby blues came up to meet his gaze and then she quickly pulled him into a tight hug. The demon was unprepared for the swiftness of her action and lost his already unsteady balance. Rosette caught him, and they slowly sank down to the floor together.

"People talk, you know. About how I'm partnered with a demon and how close we are. Sometimes they wonder what you're getting out of the deal… besides staying alive that is." She murmured, resting her head on top of his and running her fingers absently through his hair. "I've been hearing about it for a few years now, so I've got a pretty thick skin. But with what happened last night, I just don't know. Are they right? I was… excited by the idea you'd come to see me like that. I liked it… and that scares me. I'm not ready for that yet." She sniffled, letting her fingers come to a rest and simply leaning on the demon. Chrno leaned back, slipping his arms loosely around her waist. This was all news to him, and he didn't want to interrupt. "I just, (sniffle) I wish this would all just go away sometimes."

"It's ok." Chrno purred, sliding his hands soothingly up and down her back. "Just one more obstacle in our way. We'll beat it down like we do with everything else."

"No, Chrno. This one isn't that easy." She muttered, hands beginning to move restlessly through his thick tangles again. "I was having a hard time figuring out how I felt about some things before, but now it's even more complicated. I thought I was getting ready to say something important to you, but now I don't know if it's because I actually feel that way or if this stupid demon has been screwing with my head."

The demon's gaze widened. _Oh god… _

"Things will be alright again, I promise. I'll kill the bastard myself." He growled, brain processing a million miles a minute.

_Is she implying what I think she's implying?_

"Ok." Rosette answered, and was silent for a moment. Suddenly her grip tightened, pulling the demon tightly to her chest. He immediately went beet red, stammering nonsensical phrases and hoping to god she didn't notice where his face was right now. Thankfully, the girl seemed too caught up in her own depression and confusion to be aware of the juxtaposition of certain attributes with the poor demon's head, and squeezed a little harder before releasing him completely. Chrno rolled back onto the floor spluttering, as the nun slowly got to her feet and left without another word.

Before the demon's heart rate could return to normal he heard one more loud screech followed by the sound of a very hefty piece of equipment smashing into the wall, all proceeding a very loud door slam. From downstairs, he heard the Elder groan and get to his feet. A few seconds later he was giggling like a madman.

"Second base!"

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K, done with that. I promise there's a reason for Chrno having naughty dreams and waking up with problems. But you'll have to keep reading to figure out why.

Sorry if it was short, like I said I cut it off a bit to give you something to read.

Next chapter is the meeting! Some things will be deciphered, other things will be confused! And, Chrno has to make a very embarrassing explanation about something. I am evil.

Classes start up on Tuesday! That means SR will retreat back into her routine of work and caffiene and updates will slow down dramatically. Sorry, but we all know more reviews are a great impetus to get more chapters out (wink wink)

Please Review and have a happy day!

SR


	5. Chapter 5

Hi all!

I'm playing the not study game!

So, Icompletely didn't realize I had annonymous reviews turned off. Sorry to all youunregistered people,your voices counttoo! I fixed it, so go ahead and review. You know you want to.

(BIG HUGS to all the reviewers thus far!)

Appologies if things seem off in this chapter, more focused on classes than anything else right now.

Mature stuffage towards the end.

With all that said... enjoy!

Disclaimer: SR doesn't own Chrno Crusade...

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The door shut smoothly behind her with a soft thud. As soon as she was back in the safety of her own room, Rosette let the forced smile she had worn on the way to and from Chrno's place run off of her face like warm maple syrup. The girl sighed and rubbed her temples. She thought going to talk to the demon would make her feel better, like it always had since she first met him. This time, though, she was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Tearing off her wimple and the top layer of her uniform, the nun flopped down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. Staring back at her was a water mark. She'd never noticed it before, probably because whenever she was in this position it was either dark, or she was too groggy from waking up to notice. The girl let out a short snort. For as much as Chrno teased her about sleeping too much, she'd never tell him that it was their contract that forced her into it. When she was younger she had so much energy and life, but as she grew older the strain of supporting her friend had gotten worse and worse, causing her pain and fatigue.

Just like he told her she'd experience the night Joshua froze the orphanage.

Glancing down at the watch nestled between her bosoms she saw the two large hands pointing somewhere around 4:30, with the second hand continuing its inevitable march toward her death. She didn't know what any of it meant.

Sighing lightly, she fingered the gold chain that suspended her most precious and most feared possession. She'd never tell Chrno how much she'd started to notice the aches and pains, the shortness of breath, or the nagging tiredness that plagued her with increasing frequency. No, that would only hurt him. She could visualize the look on his face now, and the thought alone almost cut her to the bone. _I'll tough it out like I've always done._ The sister thought, returning her gaze to the ceiling and unconsciously counting the ticks of the watch. _Why do we lie the most to the ones we love?_

Rosette frowned and stared at the stain, wondering if it had always been that big or if it had simply grown over the course of time. She wondered that about so many things in her life…

Had she always loved Chrno? When did it start? At the orphanage, or was it a more recent development? Was she just too caught up in life to notice it before?

Why did she love him in the first place, when she knew it was wrong?

Well, she could list the reasons easily enough. The demon was amazingly kind and gentle. He was loyal, protective, and sympathetic. She felt she could tell him anything… well, almost anything, and she knew that if she needed it she could beat out her frustrations on his tolerant hide, or cry on his shoulder and expect a caring embrace. He genuinely wished for her to be happy and safe, and would do everything in his power to ensure these two things. The fact that he was a demon, and that at a certain point in his life he had done some terrible things did not matter to her. Nor did the fact that he was consuming her life… his remorse and agony over their contract was more than enough penance in her book.

But at the same time, she knew somewhere deep in her gut that there was no possible way he'd ever be able to return her feelings. He was ancient. Though one couldn't tell by looking at his child form, sometimes the countless years showed in his beautiful crimson eyes, and an uncommon wisdom echoed in his words. He had lived through so much, and had already found his one, true love. Rosette had caught him staring at the portrait of St. Magdalena more than enough times to know that he was nowhere near over her death. Even if the demon was ready to move on, Rosette was only sixteen; still a child to one as old as him. Hell, he'd known her when she was a child, and he probably couldn't get the image of her short, pigtailed form out of his mind whenever he saw her. Besides all that, there was still so much the girl didn't know about him. Things he'd never wished to talk about, despite all forms of prodding. He wouldn't be so secretive with one he loved, would he?

"_A relationship like that would be … wrong."_

"Yeah," She muttered, feeling her eyelids start to droop "Now tell me how you really feel."

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Chrno rested on the ground where Rosette had left him, soaking the comforting coolness out of the floorboards. He hadn't tried to move yet, and didn't plan to any time soon; gradually getting more comfortable as the time passed. Well, physically at least. His mind, however, was overflowing with questions and doubts; all predominated by an overwhelming feeling of concern.

Rosette was upset. Really upset. More depressed and confused than he'd ever seen her before. Well, excluding situations involving Joshua, that is.

And the main problem: he was at the root of her discomfort.

The demon groaned in pain, both from his splitting headache and the train of thought chugging its way through his mind.

"_I was… excited by the idea you'd come to see me like that. I liked it…" _

Chrno had almost jumped out of his skin at that comment. He had been arguing with himself over how he felt about Rosette for months, and the fact that she practically admitted that she liked him _that way…_ well, suffice it to say that was enough to shatter all the fragile counterarguments that had restrained him to passive friendship.

"_And that scares me."_

If only she hadn't added that part.

The demon gulped hard. So much happiness appearing in the span of a few precious seconds, only to be smacked back down moments later. But how could he expect anything different? Rosette was sweet, innocent, and good; which is why he couldn't help loving her. She had the same appeal as Mary, but he felt even closer to her than he ever had to the saint whose tomb he had guarded for more than fifty years.

What was it?

She was beautiful...

Soft white skin that left a hint of vanilla on his lips whenever they grazed her forehead in a chaste kiss, the only contact of that kind he'd ever allowed himself to give her. Silky hair the color of a field of goldenrods in bloom. As full of bounce and life as the girl it belonged to, it always tickled his nose when he got too close. Her heart-stopping gaze, the color of ice and water, of bluebells, and of soft baby blankets. You could get lost in there. Sweet, full lips that often curved into the devious grin the sister was famous for, but sometimes also betrayed a sadness and need so great that the demon wished he could just _show her_ that she was never alone. That she'd always have him.

She'd always have him, but he'd never have her.

She said herself that she didn't know if the feelings she had when the incubus visited her were artificial or emanating deep from within herself, a place that she hadn't explored, or even approached yet.

And even if they were real, would she ever be able to get over the violation she'd received from the imposter? True, he hadn't actually touched her, but still, would she always associate the image of her partner as a lover with a deep-seeded wrong? Would the experience poison her towards him?

God…

And even if they made it through the experience unscathed, the demon knew that his pathetic thoughts and excuses would come back to rebuild the wall that had kept them separated for the last few years. He shouldn't love her. Period. End of story. He was killing her. She shouldn't love him. He was evil at his most basic level. He was killing her. She was a woman of the Church. He shouldn't love her. He was killing her. He was vile, a pariah among his own kind. She shouldn't love him. He was killing her. Her brother was gone because of him. He, by definition, was incapable of understanding love. He shouldn't love her. He was killing her.

…

As his mind reeled through the tired arguments again and again, Chrno felt himself slipping into the monotonous chant that had become somewhat of a mantra. His eyes slid closed again, sealing his rubies away from the light of day. Did they even have a color in the darkness inside him?

The despair began to grow and he let himself sink into it, wallowing almost like one would in water or mud.

_Misery… self-hatred… this never solves anything… _he thought, allowing his mind to drift. It never helped, but it seemed like descending into his own private pool of anguish and despondency was the only thing he could do right.

_This is pathetic… I'm tired of always acting this way…_

After a few moments, he couldn't take the feeling anymore and forcefully pulled himself out. The answer did not lie in that direction. Rosette was what was important, and he had failed miserably at making her feel better earlier. He needed to see her again.

Resolve struck a cord in his chest, giving him the strength to get to his feet. His contractor, best friend, one-and-only needed comforting. He had a duty to fulfill, even if it was only to ameliorate her aching heart and soul at the expense of his own desires. He would content himself with simply seeing her smile as he always had done.

But first, he had a meeting to go to.

As the demon slowly stood, the headache came back in full force, swooping down on him like Aion's eagle. He raised a hand and pressed it to the side of his head, wobbling a bit as he made his way over to his dresser. Leaning on it to steady himself, the demon pulled on the long-sleeved black shirt that he usually wore under everything else. He glanced at the window and winced at the brilliant sunlight shining happily through it, deciding afterward that he didn't need any more layers today. He didn't want to get hot with this damn headache, he was uncomfortable enough already. Leaving the usual white shirt and trademark red coat off, he then debated about the bandana. Nope, he didn't need any more pressure on his head right now. Tossing the piece of red cloth in the general vicinity of his bed he glanced up at himself in the small, tarnished mirror.

"Huh."

_Rosette forgot my hair…_

The demon squinted at his reflection. This was the first day since he and Rosette had come to live at the convent that she hadn't brushed through his tangled locks and then braided them. He felt oddly and irrationally depressed about that, but quickly shook it off. _She just had a bad morning,_ he thought, _that's it. She'll be fine and so will you. _

He sighed lightly and grabbed the familiar yellow ribbon off the top of the dresser, mentally laughing at himself for wanting the damn thing in his hair. It really wasn't the manliest thing he'd ever found himself wearing… and if he'd known that this is what he'd be reduced to while he was still down in Pandemonium he may have never left. Oh well. The fact was that he did leave, and now he had to face all of the consequences. Some were just a bit more tolerable than others.

Gathering his somewhat wild mane up into one hand, he tied it up into a ponytail. He knew better than to try to braid it himself, that was Rosette's job. She would come find him and beat him if he did it without her consent. What he wouldn't give to see her in a better mood… even if she was smacking him around it meant that she wasn't being so miserable. The devil shook his head in an attempt to clear the headache out, but to no effect.

_Rosette, I'm coming. I promise._

With one last look in the mirror, he braced himself and made for the door; on the way to Sister Kate's office and, hopefully, some answers.

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Chrno stumbled again, managing to catch himself on the edge of the old dry well before falling. That was the fourth time in about sixty feet. The demon cursed blackly, covering his eyes with his free hand to try to shut out the world for a minute. Something was definitely wrong here.

Back in his room the only thing that had really been bothering the demon was a massive headache; but now it seemed as though his mind was in a cloud. He couldn't think straight to save his life, and had to keep reminding himself where he was going. In addition to this, he was unstable beyond belief, hardly able to stay upright.

The demon swallowed hard and took a few steadying breaths. It felt like he was grasping at straws to keep even a rudimentary control over his own body.

_Damn it… what the hell did that demon do to me?_

Panting slightly, he opened his right eye a slit and looked down at the ground. The grass immediately popped up at him like a 3-D puzzle, and with a startled yelp he slammed his eyes shut. He sat for a moment with his eyes tightly closed before starting to feel stupid.

_Chrno the Sinner… slayer of 100… afraid of the damn grass!_

For the sake of his pride, he forced himself to look again. The ground cover seemed impossibly green, way more vibrant and verdant than it should be. In fact, it was almost neon in color, and was in incredibly crisp focus. He could see each blade distinctly, watching them move in the breeze and graze against each other. Aah! Each time one of the tiny leaves brushed past one of its neighbors it produced a sound like nails on a chalkboard, so grating that the little demon could hardly stand it… and it was loud enough to make him clap his hands over his ears.

Chrno whimpered and slid down to his knees. It seemed like his very senses were assaulting him now, and he had no way of stopping it…

_But it's only the grass… _

The demon suppressed a cry of agony as the headache suddenly intensified, blocking all thoughts from forming in his tormented mind and sending white-hot spears of pain through his entire body.

He tried to call for help, or to at least make some sort of noise, but nothing came out. He was completely and totally paralyzed… helpless.

The sensation seemed to last for an eternity… a darkness filled with pain and fear that Chrno resisted like his life depended on it. And then, just as suddenly as the mysterious symptoms appeared, they vanished back into nothingness; leaving the demon crouched on the ground.

He didn't move for several seconds, and then timidly opened one of his eyes. To his relief, things seemed to have regained their normal color schemes. With some apprehension, Chrno removed his hands from his ears only to be met with the normal sounds of convent life. Warily, he looked around as if maybe his mental assailant would materialize into something he could rip apart. No such thing happened, and after checking his surroundings, the demon realized that his jaw was starting to cramp from being so tightly clamped shut.

"..rno!"

The devil turned his head to look in the direction of the voice and saw Father Remington running towards him, with Sister Kate following at a more moderate pace a short distance behind.

"Chrno!" The priest called, quickly closing the distance and coming to a skidding halt a few feet from the kneeling demon.

"Is something happening again?" He asked, staring intently down at the purple-haired boy. "We saw you collapse from the window… don't worry, we already sent a team of exorcists over to Rosette's room."

Chrno blinked and looked up into Remington's concerned face, still a bit dazed from the events a few moments ago. He shook his head distractedly, trying to come up with words… any words really. It was so easy to think now that he was a bit disoriented by the feeling, which was somewhat akin to breathing in pure oxygen after almost drowning.

"I, uh, yeah." He muttered, looking down at the ground as if trying to find the answers there. "I'm ok…"

Sister Kate finally reached the pair, also shooting a worried glance down at Chrno.

"You look terrible…" She said softly, glancing over his general unkempt appearance in addition to the bags under his eyes and the unusual pallor of his skin. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Chrno replied, voice beginning to gain some strength behind it again. "I'll be fine." _Will I? _"Rosette is fine too…so you can recall that-"

As soon as the last word left his mouth, a cruel hand harshly began crushing the demon's heart, forcing all the breath from his chest and causing him to fall forward. It happened so quickly that he didn't have time to put a hand out to halt his speedy descent towards the ground, and landed flat on his face. Small noises of surprise shot from the head nun and the priest, as Chrno began gasping and quiet straining sounds erupted unbidden from his chest.

"Rosette." Remington muttered, quickly regaining his composure and turning to Kate, who nodded and rushed back towards the building.

The priest leaned down and carefully scooped up the barely-conscious demon before following in her footsteps.

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The exorcist team was in place outside Rosette's door, and was about to enter when Sister Kate appeared, Remington hot on her heels.

"Are you ready?" She asked in a voice that commanded the attention of all present.

"Yes ma'am." One of the older members answered, quickly running his green eyes over the newcomers to asses their role in the matter. "With respect, sir, I think maybe that one should stay outside." He said, indicating Chrno, who was lying motionless in Remington's arms.

The priest was about to answer when he felt the small demon begin to stir. Slowly, he reached up to grab his chest in a now familiar gesture, and began weakly scenting the air, searching for Rosette. The preacher carefully set him down, and he surprisingly managed to keep his feet under him, though his eyes remained closed and he was trembling from the strain.

"Ready, Chrno?" Remington asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. A faint scream was heard from behind the closed door, and the demon's eyes immediately snapped open. They were completely red, and a growl exploded from deep within his body, rage-fueled adrenaline quickly providing him with additional strength.

Remington nodded and Sister Kate gave the order.

"Enter!"

The exorcist team quickly blew through the door and flooded the room. Chrno went to follow them but Remington tightened his grip on the devil's shoulder.

"Wait a minute." He said in a calm voice, intently watching the doorway. The devil snarled, glaring over his shoulder at the priest menacingly, but Remigton was right; for almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, all five of the experienced exorcists came flying back out of the room and slammed hard into the wall, landing on top of each other in a tangled heap. The priest nodded grimly. "Just as I thought."

Chrno eyed the open doorway, preparing to make a beeline for it when the sound of unearthly laughter filled the heads of all still in the hallway.

**Chrno… Oh Chrno… **The incubus called playfully, breaking off into evil snickering. **Don't you want to come in and join us? Mmmmmm, that would be so… enjoyable. **Immediately a deep groan issued through the open door, it was coming from Rosette.

Chrno snapped.

Father Remington quickly felt his grip on the demon's shoulder disintegrate as he twisted free and raced into the room. The priest hastily followed, but was met by the door slamming in his face. He immediately tried to move the offending slab of wood, but the knob wouldn't turn. Frustration built on the normally calm man's face, and he began throwing his shoulder into the barrier to no avail. They were sealed outside.

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Chrno barreled into the room like a fresh racehorse out of the gates, fangs lengthened and claws tipping his fingers. He went straight for the bed, but was quickly floored by the pressure in his chest, which seemed to intensify the closer he got to his contractor. Falling hard onto his knees, he began wheezing like an asthmatic sans inhaler; gasping in deep breaths of air to keep from passing out. The infuriating sounds of passion continued to reach the demon's ears over the noise of his own panting, and he forced his bloody gaze up to the bed with a snarl.

Rosette was laying spread-eagled in her bloomers and a thin white camisole, waves of golden hair spreading over the pillows and blankets behind her. The incubus, who had again taken the form of Chrno in his demon body, was lying next to her, facing the door. He was kissing her neck tenderly, one arm under her shoulders and the other loosely draped across her hips, pulling them slightly up and towards himself. One wing was tucked tightly behind him, while the other was holding her top half up, allowing him better access to her neck. The bone-whip was turned on its side, and he was slowly running its ridged edge up and down the girl's crotch in an extremely pleasurable way. She, in turn, was twisted slightly towards him and had one arm encircling his shoulders, pulling his face closer to her neck and chest, while tracing patterns on his sculpted chest with the fingers of her other hand.

The late morning sun spilled through the open window, falling over the bed and couple on it, illuminating their intertwined forms in excruciating detail and burning the image into Chrno's retinas. The noises of deep satisfaction continued to flow from the girl's parted lips as she slowly wormed her way further under the imposter's body, delighting in his touch and encouraging him onward.

**She's got quite the imagination.** The incubus spoke without moving, opening his golden eyes to look at the enraged demon on the floor. **This was her idea, you know.**

Chrno was getting more than a few flashbacks of the colorful dream he'd had that morning, unable to believe that his Rosette would actually do something like that of her own free will.

"You're influencing her into this." He hissed, angry that her innocence had been called into question. "Why are you doing this? What can you hope to gain from messing around with a bunch of human girls?"

The incubus smirked. **Still haven't figured it out? Well, I suppose I really haven't given you that much time to think about it, have I? **He smiled smugly, scooting up to kiss the girl on the lips, which she eagerly returned, bringing her free hand up to trace lightly along his ear.

Chrno twitched unintentionally. In his true form, his ears were sort of a magic 'on' button. How'd she know that? He growled lower and more dangerously in confusion and frustration. Was this incubus changing his good, pure, innocent girl? The thought just made him angrier, and his inability to reverse any of the damage the incubus would do sent him off the deep end.

**Jealous? **The incubus asked in an innocent tone, cracking his eye open in response to the change in pitch of the demon's snarl. **You should be.**

Chrno scowled. "Too bad you're not solid enough to finish the job." He spat, knowing it was the wrong response, but far too pissed to think in terms of diplomacy.

**Really?** The icubus asked in mock surprise, giving him a hurt look. **Well, I just don't think that's true. Here, I'll prove it to you.**

With that, he gently grabbed Rosette's wrists and pulled them down to the sheets, pinning her flat to the bed by rolling his body on top of hers. He then brought the blade of the bone-whip up and ran it down the center of her camisole, which instantly split at the will of the finely sharpened edge. Sparks emerged as the tip of the appendage lightly brushed the pocket watch, causing the incubus to jerk involuntarily. He didn't lose his composure for long though, shooting the demon a cold glare before reaching down to pull the garment open and expose the girl's breasts to the warm air.

Chrno blinked in surprise, and immediately looked away. He had thought that everything the girls described happening was just images and sensations the incubus had projected into their heads… clearly, he was wrong. The incubus laughed, and the demon's head was suddenly snapped forward again, as if someone had grabbed it and forcefully turned it. He felt his neck crack at the speed of the action, and tried to turn away again, but found that some invisible force was holding him there.

**Tisk tisk, Chrno. I haven't proved my point yet. Now watch.**

Slowly, the incubus leaned down and ran his tongue over Rosette's left breast, much to the girl's delight as she gasped, running her fingers up into the imposter's hair. He lavished attention on the area, making sure his mouth brushed over every inch, tasting the milky whiteness of her virgin skin. Chrno watched helplessly as the incubus brought his fangs into play, gently nipping along the sensitive skin at the base of her breast, combining it with more tender licking and sucking of the supple flesh. Rosette moaned and sighed, the pace of her ragged breathing increasing as the incubus continued to stimulate her in many not-so-subtle manners; reaching up to cup her other breast with his free hand, kneading and carefully pinching the receptive skin, roughly running his other hand down her stomach and over her thighs, grasping the toned muscles of her legs harshly before sliding up to firmly press his fingers against the yielding space between them. The girl called out and tightly clutched her lover's back, digging her fingers in as the sensations built up, and releasing fully as the incubus closed his lips over her nipple. He kept sucking relentlessly, not giving her time to enjoy the orgasm and quickly whipping her up to fever pitch again.

Chrno felt the grip on his face loosen and gladly let his head fall down to rest on his chest. He was shaking from the effort of keeping himself up on his hands and knees, the feeling of a weight on his chest had increased dramatically when Rosette finished, and hadn't gone back down since. Beads of sweat were forging rivers down the little demon's face, and he closed his eyes to keep them safe. By this time his anger had almost completely subsided, being replaced by a distinct feeling of dread and helplessness. If he couldn't move, how could he help her? And if the scumbag was actually touching her, what else was he capable of?

No, he couldn't think like that.

NO ONE laid a hand Rosette and lived.

He had to move… maybe if he could just reach her…

The demon started jerking violently, ignoring the weakness in his limbs and trying to unglue himself from his spot on the floor. He succeeded in small increments, gradually inching towards the bed and groaning from the strain. The incubus watched him with obvious amusement, chuckling.

**You want a piece, Chrno? Well, I suppose that can be arranged… she is technically yours after all…**

Chrno was in mid-crawl, one hand in the air reaching forward and shaking uncontrollably, trying to connect with the ground when he suddenly felt all the pressure drop from his chest. In an instant he was on his feet, not knowing what had just happened, but also not caring. He could move now, and so rushed the last few yards to the bed, adrenaline pumping like mad and a feral growl rising from the depths of his tiny body. He was so close… almost able to reach out and touch his contractor when his feet suddenly stopped moving, fastening him to a spot on the floor a few feet from the bed. The demon stood there for a moment, frozen in surprise; ordering himself to run but being disobeyed by his own limbs. Try as he might, he couldn't budge. The devil gave a tortured roar as his rage resurfaced, threatening to take him over. If only he'd moved faster…

The incubus was practically giggling, reveling in Chrno's rage. **Relax, I said I'd let you have your turn. **He said, grinning evilly.

At first, the demon was too absorbed in fury to notice that his hand had started moving, but he quickly picked up on it as it rose to stretch out in front of him, zombie-style. He stared down at the appendage, uncomprehending, watching as it slowly rose of its own accord, and then grunting as he was suddenly wrenched forward, being dragged inexorably toward the bed. This was not like before, when it felt like something he couldn't see had a hold of his face. No, this was much more like the appendage was acting on its own, and try as he might he couldn't bring it back under his own control. Brief flashes of the previous incident outside ran through his brain, when it had seemed that his body was determinedly disobeying every order he gave it.

The demon's eyes narrowed and he quickly latched onto his left arm with his other hand, trying to move it off course. It wouldn't budge, so he tried digging his heels into the ground. This only succeeded in tripping him, and he stumbled as the arm refused to sway from its path. After a few moments of intense struggle, Chrno found himself next to Rosette's bed. He glared at the incubus, cursing him loudly in another language and swiping at him with his right arm, which he still seemed to have control over. Just like last time, the blow passed right through the imposter, who just smirked and abandoned his position, rolling off the bed and standing up to his full height on the other side.

Chrno was hauled forward again by his left arm, which reached up to gently stroke Rosette's cheek. Balking, he tried to yank himself away, but found that his feet were rooted to the ground and he couldn't move. He growled at the limb as it continued to refuse his orders to stop, but the threatening noise slowly died off as the nun rolled her face over and nuzzled into his hand. She was responding to his touch in a way he thought she never would. He felt like crying. This was so incredibly wrong, but in a different situation he would have begged for her to act this way.

God, after this she'd never be like that with him.

The incubus leered down at his small counterpart, highly amused by the spectacle of his inner turmoil.

**Oh what tangled webs we weave, eh Chrno? **He said, waxing philosophical. The demon refused to respond, instead sending him a glare filled with the most concentrated form of hate one could imagine. That particular look used to send lower level demons running in horror, tails tucked firmly between their legs; but didn't seem to have much of an effect on the incubus, who easily matched it with one of his own. **Well I say it's high past time we get rid of those pesky cobwebs.**

Chrno's expression didn't change, but the pit dropped out of his stomach and fear resurfaced in his heart as he felt his hand start to move again.

"What are you doing to me?" He hissed, refusing to look down as his hand glided smoothly down Rosette's graceful neck, fingers twirling lightly through her hair.

**What is it with you and questions? Can't you just enjoy the moment? **The incubus asked, leaning back against the windowsill. The light filtering through the window shone through him. He was transparent.

Chrno swallowed hard as his hand started up its restless motion again, skimming lightly over her chest. He still refused to look, panic starting to build as he realized that simply willing the arm back under his control just wasn't going to work. The misbehaving hand had found one of the nun's breasts and was gently squeezing it. In this body, it was more than a handful for the little demon, and so the hand moved itself around, exploring the entirety of the soft, round mass before sliding up to toy with the nipple. Rosette was making some of the best noises as his fingertips examined her young body, and Chrno gritted his teeth, trying to force any impure thoughts out of his mind.

After one particularly loud outburst from the nun, Chrno angled his face up towards the ceiling. He had to think of something. This had to stop. What could he do? His hand continued its unwanted antics, finishing up with one breast and then moving to the other and repeating the same procedure.

What could he **_do_**?

One of Rosette's hands found his and laced over it, small and delicate in comparison to his thick, dark fingers. She gently guided him around her taught tummy before pushing lower, down past her belly button and under the cloth of her bloomers.

Chrno started whining in desperation, terrified of hurting Rosette, of making her hate him, of losing her. The whining metamorphosed into whimpering and trembling as he felt his fingers slide down to one of the nun's tenderest places, something he definitely should not be touching. It was warm and damp and his sensitive nose picked up the distinctive smell easily.

What could he **_DO_**?

Tears of frustration built under the demon's lids as he slammed his eyes shut. He wasn't sure if he was madder at the incubus for forcing him into this or disgusted with himself for enjoying it so much. The darkest parts of his mind were sending him intense flashes of the dream again as the girl rubbed his fingers up and down her slit in time to the sighs and moans coming from her throat, building up a layer of moisture.

"No…" Chrno whispered, quietly at first, but quickly building volume as he repeated the simple word over and over again. It seemed like that tiny utterance was the only thing he could manage. His gut wrenched, and for a few seconds he thought he was going to puke. _Why can't I **MOVE?**_

The incubus yawned and appeared to be examining his fingernails for dirt. **This is not as good a show as I thought it was going to be. **He said, briefly glancing down at the demon. **Stop fighting it.**

Chrno blinked rapidly, trying to calm himself. If he panicked, he'd be lost. He tried to form a list of options, but couldn't think of any. The only thing his mind seemed capable of sending him now was images of the dream. He made a sound that was somewhat of a cross between a growl and a cry of agony before a slim hand moving up his leg distracted him completely. He quickly looked down just as Rosette's hand finished its short journey up his inner thigh and firmly cupped his crotch.

The demon felt all the air rush out of his lungs. It was like someone had just punched him, effectively cutting off all thought processes. As his concentration left him, he lost control of his right arm, one of the last parts of his body he had still been in charge of. He realized this a second too late as the limb suddenly sprang to life, reaching to grasp Rosette's hand and slide it in under his shorts. The girl's nimble fingers quickly found their target and Chrno cried out unintentionally as she started to stroke him, rapidly breathing life into a fire that had been lying dormant for over fifty years.

The demon simply stood in shocked silence as he felt himself harden under the girl's gentle caresses. A single tear slid down his cheek. He didn't want to like this… he _shouldn't_ like this…

Gradually, the demon became aware of the actions of his other hand, and cringed as he felt his fingers start to push into the nun's opening. This couldn't be happening…

_He had to stop!_

Suddenly the dream flashed through his mind again. He had bitten Rosette, she bled… That was it! In one swift and fluid motion, the demon leaned down and chomped harshly into his left bicep. The shock of pain was intense, but he knew that he couldn't relent, and so continued to sink his fangs in deeper. Blood filled his mouth and quickly soaked his sleeve as he hit the brachial artery, and a few seconds later the entire limb went numb. Chrno vaguely heard the incubus grunt in discomfort, but he could feel that his fingers were still moving, so he clamped down even harder until his teeth met bone, severing the muscle from its anchor point. Only with his upper arm in shreds did his fingers halt their progress, physically incapable of motion anymore.

With a degree of relief, Chrno pulled away, finding that the invisible forces that had been holding him had disappeared. Glancing up, he saw the incubus nursing a wound identical to the one he'd just inflicted upon himself. He was bent over the arm, frantically digging for the severed artery in an attempt to stop the blood flow and keep from bleeding to death.

Chrno took a shaky breath and realized that he was also losing blood at an incredible rate, but couldn't take the time to focus on it. He could move for now … but how long would that last?

Rosette had to be safe.

Stumbling backwards, the demon fell onto his knees and quickly started fishing around in his pocket with his right hand. _Come on…_he mentally muttered, frantically searching about until his fingers met the cold metal of what he was searching for. With a triumphant cry, he pulled out three metal crosses. The light caught every miniscule detail of the intricate engravings and made them gleam briefly before he slammed each one down into the wooden floor around him in the shape of a triangle.

The incubus panted and snarled as he finally managed to staunch the flow of his life's blood, and he immediately glared at the spot Chrno had occupied a few seconds ago, only to realize that he was no longer there. A brief search of the room revealed the demon kneeling on the floor and muttering something. The incubus realized what he was doing just in time to watch in dread as the word "Amen!" escaped his lips, activating the barrier.

An intense green light shot up around the demon, illuminating the room with its powerful force. The pain hit Chrno instantaneously as the holy energy began to eat away at his skin and he fell forward, catching himself with his good arm and shaking violently. The incubus screamed and Chrno looked up to see burns erupting on his body as well.

_We're linked. _The demon thought, a small smug feeling running through his mind as the realization dawned on him fully. _Burn, you bastard._

**Still got some fight in you, eh? **The incubus hissed, clamping his teeth shut and wrapping his wings around himself in an effort to find shelter. The green twinge of the light emanating from the barrier cast a hellish pallor over his dissolving flesh. **I will break you demon, mark my words. **

Chrno's crimson gaze met the cold golden eyes of his impersonator in a bitter stare down. The wrath in the air was practically palpable as the incubus fumed, skin smoking and body quickly becoming more transparent as he began to withdraw. The little demon smiled humorlessly in triumph as the image of the incubus quickly faded completely away into nothingness.

The demon waited a few moments to make sure he was really gone before finally giving in to the weakness pervading his body. He glanced down at himself, coated in blood and melting tissues, both of which continued to seep from his body at an alarming rate. His legion were working overtime, frantically trying to repair the damage, but quickly falling behind and being overtaken by the strength of the holy energy inside the barrier. The scent of smoldering flesh reached his nose, as did the sound of his blood sizzling as it touched the edges of the barrier. He found that his vision was starting to blur and his limbs were trembling uncontrollably as the blood loss started to reach dangerous levels. Ever so slowly, Chrno's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forward, still fighting to retain consciousness. He didn't want to die like this… but he would if doing so would save Rosette. The demon brought an image of his contractor to the front of his mind and a faint smile crossed his face.

_I'm sorry I have to leave…_

_You'll find Joshua._

_You'll be safe and happy._

_I know it._

_Rosette…_

_I love you._

It didn't hurt anymore.

The demon's hearing faded out, and so he didn't know when the priests finally managed to get the door open. All he did know was that someone had rolled him over and was trying to talk to him. The demon feebly sniffed the air… Father Remington?

"D-don't…" Chrno murmured, too numb to feel the preacher's fingers holding off the artery in his armpit, unable to hear as he called for the nurses. "Don't let her open the s-seal… it's important." The demon was unable to stay awake any longer, and passed out.

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Done!

Ok, before you ask, NO I'm not gonnakill Chrno. He'll be ok eventually.

Next chapter will be fluffy angst and explanations. Yes, that explanation chapter I've been pushing off for what, three chapters now? Sorry, I'm avoiding it cuz it'll force me to face any and all plot holes and inconsistencies. (Hides from them)

Back to neuropsychopharmacology notes for me. Woot.

Please Review and have a happy day!

SR


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all!

Well, I know some of you have been waiting extremely patiently for an update on this story, so here's a short one. It's really not much, just some poorly-written angst,and unfortunately,it's beyond short. So I hope you'll forgive me, but I just figured that you'd appreciate some form of update before the middle of May, which will be the next time I can get a chapter out. The upshot is that I have over half of the next chapter done already, it would just make very little sense continuity-wise to post it with this chapter. Just trust me on that. Anyway, I had a question from Shizuka-naTenshi. The inquiry: What's an incubus, anyway? The response: An incubus is a male demon that has sex with sleeping women and feeds off their energy, occasionally leaving a baby demon in there too. Yucky.

With that said, I apologize for the lack of plot development here... don't worry, it'll be there next chapter in shovel-fulls.

Hugs to all my wonderful reviewers! Especially those of you sticking with the story even though it takes me forever to get a friggen update out!

Disclaimer: Scarred Rose doesn't own Chrno Crusade.. but I just got volume 7 of the manga! WOOT! But some IDIOT already ruined the ending for me! Overheard what goes on in the epilogue... and I guess at least it's better than the anime ending coughTERRIBLEcough

On with it!

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"Rosette."

A dark hand reached through the morning sunlight filtering into the nun's room, and came to rest tenderly on her cheek.

"Rosette…" The voice spoke in the same quiet whisper it had before, but this time it carried a strange urgency, pressing the young beauty to awaken.

Slowly, the girl began to stir, yawning once before arching her back and legs in a stretch. It took a few moments to realize that someone had been speaking to her, and it also felt like… it felt like someone was touching her face. The girl's eyelids gradually fluttered open and her sky-blue orbs slowly rolled to the side to verify the sensation. Yep, there was definitely a hand stroking her cheek. The nun lay there in a sleepy daze for a few seconds, soaking in the warmth of the June sun and feeling the touch of the mysterious person on her skin.

For some reason the fact that some random stranger was in her room petting her didn't bother her as much as it should have. In fact, she felt oddly comfortable. There was just so much… warmth flowing from this person; it seemed to set the girl completely at ease.

Still, she was somewhat curious; and so opened her sapphires wider to get a look at him. However, the light reflecting off of her white camisole and rumpled sheets immediately blinded the young nun, and she turned her head to the side, squinting. Surprisingly, the hand moved with her, seemingly unwilling to break the contact.

"Who…?" Rosette asked quietly, still not fully awake, settling her hand on top of the one on her cheek and cautiously looking up at the form looming over her through slit eyelids. "…Chrno?"

A face slowly materialized out of the overwhelming glare that had been hiding it as the person leaned down slightly out of the light. Familiar red eyes and purple hair along with that soothing smile the nun loved; yes, it was her demon.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised at the strange reaction she was having to her diminutive partner's presence. He was in her room without her permission… why wasn't she clobbering him like she normally would?

Well, probably because he was smiling like _that_… Rosette almost never saw that look of complete and shining happiness cross her poor demon's face. It was one of those rare smiles that crawled up from the corners of his mouth and imbedded itself in his piercing red stare. Whenever he did that it was always utterly infectious, but today it sent extra shivers up her spine.

Wow…

The demon took a small step forward, eyelids drooping slightly and smile widening as he brought his left hand up to caress the girl's other cheek. The nun felt like time was slowing down as she stared up into his crimson orbs, feeling a warm pink blush rise to her face. He seemed incredibly handsome right now, and she felt herself getting embarrassed as she always did when they got a little too close. Her lips parted slightly as if to start reprimanding him, but for some reason no words would come; so she simply lay there, silent and still, as her partner leaned down and kissed her forehead. It wasn't just a peck either, lasting long enough for Rosette to memorize the sight of his white shirt collar peeking out from under his big, red coat.

"Why?" The girl asked quietly, in reference to both Chrno's strange behavior, and her unusual reactions. Her heart was pounding, her face was flushed, and she felt so… warm. All over. She had felt like this before… usually during the tender embraces she and Chrno shared after particularly bad missions, or when he'd comfort her after a nightmare about Joshua. However, the motivation behind these hugs and murmured words had been comfort; no more, no less. The fact that she had started to imagine things about these little encounters… an extra caress here and there, the unnecessary brush of lips on her neck, the tight press of his small body to hers…

She always told herself it couldn't be real. He could never love her like she wanted him to… But if that was true, then what was this?

The demon raised his head slightly and locked her eyes again, skimming a finger over her lips to silence her. He was still smiling, and Rosette felt everything die in her throat.

Was he…?

Was he _really_ smiling at her like _that_? Like he cared, yes, but more like he wanted something. Did he want her?

And why was she just lying there taking it?

God, why did it even matter?

Rosette felt her lips part again as Chrno moved his finger aside and watched dumbfounded as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Warm, wet, wonderful.

After the initial shock, it didn't take the gorgeous youth much thinking to decide her opinion on this action. The nun snaked her arms up around his neck and closed her sapphire eyes, relaxing into the kiss. It lasted and lasted, lips and tongues moving against each other in a concerted motion and hands cautiously but eagerly exploring the body of the other person. Rosette pushed herself upwards into his touch as she felt him pass over her neck and shoulders, lightly over her chest, and then down the hourglass curves of her sides, finally coming to a rest on her hips. He gripped them tightly and started moving his thumbs in small circles where they met the flesh of her lower abdomen, gently closing his teeth around her bottom lip and sucking on it lightly. With her top lip free, the nun let a small moan escape her throat, allowing the motion of her hands to trail off to her fingertips, digging her nails in ever so slightly so they could be felt through the layers of his coat and shirt and moving them a bit roughly along the curve of his neck. She slowly opened her eyes to gaze up at her partner, but what she saw made her jump. Golden eyes, long, pointed ears, fangs and claws, wings, and a long, bony blade emerging from the base of his skull. Not to mention the fact that he'd grown at least three feet in height. The girl inhaled quickly, pulling away from the demon's advances and looking down at the watch, only to find the seal in place.

Wait a minute… something at the back of her mind was screaming at her, but she couldn't quite figure out what the problem was.

Well, aside from the fact that Chrno had just transformed without using the seal, that is.

How did he do that?

…Didn't this happen already?

Wasn't there something bad about her seeing Chrno like this?

"Am I dreaming?" She asked out loud, more to herself than to anyone else, reluctantly looking up at her demon, who gazed back at her with a beaming, mesmerizing smile. The girl stared at him, feeling their eyes lock. As the eye contact continued, all the questions and inhibitions seemed to fade away, pushed back into a small crevice in her mind until she could no longer remember what had been worrying her so. She furrowed her brow, trying to think about the fears she'd been having and why they'd just vanished completely out of her head. Chrno, however, didn't give her the luxury of thought, crawling forward onto her bed and gently pushing her down, settling his weight lightly on top of her body and kissing her again. Rosette resisted, but only for a second, before giving herself back over to him. Whatever it was, she could think about it later... when he wasn't being so damn… irresitable…

And so, just like last night the young blonde opened herself to her partner, friend, guardian, and soon-to-be lover. Seemingly unnoticed by the girl was the eerily sharp grin that danced at the edges of the demon's mouth as he pushed and directed her further.

Not too much longer now…

(AN: That was a flashback, in case I confuzled anyone...)

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It was dark. Oppressively dark. The only available illumination came from the greenish glow of the cross barriers surrounding the bed, and even that didn't reach all the way into the corners of the tiny guestroom. Rosette eased the door shut behind her, careful to not make too much noise. She didn't want to wake him up.

The bed was situated in the middle of the room. It was white and very sterile-looking, though the light was casting a sickly yellow twinge on the simple sheets and pillow.

Two cross barriers were set up around the bed about three feet apart. The holy energy they formed was contained between them, forming a layer of green surrounding, but not touching, the bed and its occupant. This had to be the case, because any more exposure to this holy force would probably kill the patient. Rosette briefly flashed back to the conversation she'd had in the hallway with the nurse and Father Remington, both of whom cautioned her that her partner's state was not a good one.

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"…lesions…burns…take a few days…" Rosette had zoned in and out of the nurse's description of Chrno's injuries. She really just wanted to see him… but at the same time she really didn't.

"If he was human we would have amputated the arm," The matronly woman had droned in a slightly disinterested tone, "But then again, if he was human he would have been dead by now due to the extent of the injuries, and it wouldn't have mattered anyway."

Rosette blinked at the harshness of the statement and bit down on her bottom lip. Why did he do this to himself? Why… The girl didn't realize that her eyes had slid closed until she felt Father Remington's hand fall lightly on her shoulder. Shaking herself out of the gloomy mood, she opened her eyes just in time to see the priest shoot the nurse a reprimanding glare before dismissing her.

"Rosette…" he said softly, giving her shoulder a small squeeze. "He'll be fine. We just have to give him some time to heal."

God, did she hate that pitying tone of voice. It was the same pained timbre that everyone adopted when they spoke to her about her time running out, or about Joshua, or that it was still possible that there was a way for the contract to be reversed and her life restored…

Yeah, right.

Helplessness and pity, two things that Rosette Christopher did not deal in.

But as usual, she just smiled weakly and nodded at her mentor before slipping away from him and into the room.

"Just be careful." Remington called after her, "We don't know what happened, but Chrno wouldn't try to kill himself like that for nothing."

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Rosette took a deep breath and advanced towards the bed, passing easily through the barriers due to her human nature and coming to a stop beside her sleeping partner. He looked terrible, and she felt her heart sink with worry.

Bandages covered the worst burns, which ended up being most of his body. All of the small patches of exposed skin were pale beyond belief, especially for one usually so tan, and covered in a cold sweat. Blood seeped through the tight bindings in some places, especially around his left bicep, which was pretty much in ribbons. A pair of silver hemostats stuck out through the dressings in this area, Rosette had been told that the nurses had simply clamped the artery closed and left it there, trusting his body to do the healing. The rest of his left arm was a pale blue, and looked fairly dead.

She looked up at his face and saw a slightly pained expression, eyes moving restlessly under closed lids even though he was asleep. The nun walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down next to him, reaching up to smooth the unruly bangs out of his face. She wanted to cry. This was all her fault. The sensation of his cold, clammy skin against her fingertips worsened the feelings of responsibility. _Why did you do this to yourself?_ She thought, gazing down at his pale complexion and restive movements. _You could have just done what he wanted… I would have forgiven you._

The girl looked down at the pocket watch dangling from her neck. All of this could be fixed with a quick flick of the seal, but she'd been forbidden to touch it.

When she had sobbingly asked why, holding a bloody sheet up over herself to hide her exposed chest in her room, Remington had simply stated that Chrno didn't want her to.

"He never wants me to!" She'd screeched, watching as the nurses frantically tried to staunch the bleeding, to at least get the demon stable enough to move out of the girl's room.

"He told me specifically this time." The priest had answered firmly, trying to calm the nun from her near-hysteria by placing his body between her and the sight of her injured partner.

Rosette wouldn't put up with that, and leaned in several directions, trying to see around the man's body. When she couldn't get a good view, she reached out and started pulling on his coat, trying to force him out of the way. It felt like if she could just _see_ him, maybe all of this would disappear like the dream it should have been. Unfortunately, this was no dream. With a stern expression, Remington grabbed the nun's wrist and pushed her back onto her bed.

"Just do it Rosette." he ordered in a voice reserved for serious situations. "There are things going on here that we don't understand yet. I won't let you jeopardize the entire convent to help him get better faster." With that, he'd taken her chin in his hands and harshly turned it so that she had no choice but to look at him. "Do you understand?"

The girl had nodded, forcibly calming herself and letting the tears fall as she saw them scoop Chrno up out of the corner of her eye and whisk him off somewhere else. Remington watched them go, and then turned to look at her again. His face softened at the sight of her and he gave a defeated sigh.

"I promise he'll be alright, ok Rosette?" The priest said, expression turning sad at her obvious sorrow and confusion. "You know he can take a lot more of a pounding than we can."

Rosette had sniffled and looked away, shaking her head slightly. _This isn't real…_

Oh, but it was.

It was completely real, but it seemed like it was getting harder and harder to tell what was and what wasn't anymore.

Rosette leaned up against the headboard of the bed, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. The way Chrno had woken her up that morning, and when he'd appeared to her the night before… they seemed so perfect at the time. The sights, smells, and sensations were all there, but then she'd woken up and realized that neither experience had actually happened. Well, they hadn't happened the way she remembered them, anyway. Where there had been her devoted partner in the dream world had actually been some demonic imposter who was just screwing with her for… for…

For what?

Why the HELL was this happening to her?

What was he… she… it… gaining from this besides extremely personal contact with her?

The girl fisted her hands and gritted her teeth. She felt confused, vulnerable, enraged, and violated all at the same time. It was a curious amalgamation of emotions that she'd never experienced in combination before, and it made her a bit sick to her stomach.

But the worst part had come this morning. She remembered the exact moment when the second Chrno had appeared in her dream, and the tortured expression he'd carried when he'd been forced to touch her. It looked like someone was twisting a knife in his gut, but she couldn't stop herself from touching him back, pushing him to please her… to _love_ her. She tried to stop. She really did. Her body just wouldn't listen, hands moving by themselves and body arching as his little fingers left fiery trails of desire along her hypersensitive skin. The sick ecstasy that filled her at his caresses wouldn't die away, even after he refused to look at her. Even after he started crying. She was completely ashamed of herself. She'd made him touch her _down there_…

And she'd touched him too.

The girl held her left hand up over her head and slowly slid her eyes open to look at it. For all intents and purposes, it appeared as any normal hand should. However, this particular hand had ventured into some territory she hadn't expected to approach for years. The feel of his soft, warm skin growing tight and hard against her fingers was permanently ingrained in her mind now.

_Well, left hands are supposed to be evil, right?_ Some cynical voice in her head called out. Rosette snorted and let the appendage fall into her lap with an audible plop. _I am so messed up… _

The girl sighed and rolled her eyes down to look at her demon without moving her head. How in the world was she going to face him when he woke up? She studied his pale face for several seconds before realizing that his teeth were chattering. Her brows immediately furrowed in concern, and without a second thought she reached down and slid the covers off his tiny frame before gently lifting him up. Being careful to avoid hurting him, the girl slid her body under his and lightly wrapped her arms around him.

The demon hissed in pain at being touched, but quickly quieted as Rosette tugged the thick comforter up over the both of them and cooed a few soothing words to him. Still unconscious, he carefully shifted in the nun's lap, turning slightly onto his less injured side and nuzzling his face into her neck. The girl smiled weakly as he mumbled something completely unintelligible right next to her ear before settling down again, letting his shallow breaths puff out against her skin. He was so _cute_ when he was asleep.

Rosette stayed perfectly still until the demon's breathing had again settled into the rhythm of sleep. When he seemed to have quieted down she let out a small sigh, tipping her head to the side to rest on top of his. The girl could feel his right hand resting palm-up on her stomach, and she reached under the covers to lock their fingers. After a few minutes in this warm and safe embrace his teeth stopped chattering, and she felt him relax fully against her, snuggling in as close as he could. The nun smiled sadly down at him, carefully running the fingers of her unoccupied hand up and down his back.

_Why can't we just be like this?_ She thought, letting her eyelids slide shut with melancholy.

"It'd be so nice…" She said out loud this time, albeit quietly. True, her devil was out like a light, but somehow saying this to him still felt good. "If you loved me like I love you."

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Azmaria practically flew through the halls of the Magdalene order, racing as fast as her little feet would carry her. She almost never allowed herself to run like this, what with having the coordination of a drunken monkey for most of her young life (AN: hey, the girl trips a lot. And it's entirely possible she smells like bananas and cheap whiskey. You can't prove me wrong there cuz unfortunately manga isn't scratch 'n sniff… yet…)

(AN: I would like to apologize for the previous author's note. It's three in the morning and I'm running away from my actual work :P )

Anyway, she turned a corner sharply, narrowly missing one of the older priests and shouting an apology over her shoulder. She immediately felt bad for almost ramming someone, but right now she was too busy to apologize in full. This was because young Azmaria was currently carrying some important news that she thought would cheer Rosette out of the funk she'd been in today. The little girl smiled determinedly, jacket flaring out behind her as she blew through the doors into the dining hall, narrowly avoiding catastrophe in the form of a piping hot bowl of leek soup being carried by one of the more oblivious nuns (coughMarycough). Disaster averted, the young lass raced up to the table Rosette was currently occupying and slammed her hands down on it, panting heavily. The older nun looked up from her half-full plate and raised an eyebrow at the pale girl.

"Getting ready for a marathon, Azu?" She asked, pushing the peas on her plate around with her fork.

"Rosette!" Azmaria called, suddenly standing bolt upright, all signs of fatigue gone. "Chrno's awake!" She beamed brightly, completely missing the slightly foreboding look that ghosted across Rosette's face. "You can go see him now if you want!"

"Oh," Rosette answered, quickly directing her gaze back down at her plate. "Yeah, definitely. Right after I finish dinner."

Azmaria nodded, plopping herself down in the chair next to her idol, prepared to wait all of five seconds for the older girl to unhinge her jaw and swallow the remaining contents of her plate so she could run to visit Chrno. When said five seconds were up, Az glanced over at Rosette to see that she was still messing with her peas, looking sadly down at the table.

"Rosette?" The white-haired girl questioned, concern swiftly rising to her face. "Are you alright?"

This seemed to spark the nun out of her spell, and her fork quickly starting moving again, shoveling food into her mouth as she gave Azmaria a nod and an obviously fake I'm-ok-nothing's-going-on-here-please-don't-call-me-on-it smile.

"Fine." She mumbled around a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Just dandy."

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Wee! Pity is appreciated in terms of grammar/spelling/general crappy content, considering I got a burst of inspiration and wrote this entire damned thing between 1 and 4 in the morning one night... erm, yeah. College Healthy.

Like I said, next chapter will be really long and pretty good, so please check back for it in May.

Have a Happy Day!

SR


	7. Chapter 7

Hi all!

Wow, so, I had an insanely busy summer. Sorry for this extremely late update, but I was just busy. Two jobs, friends, and boyfriend kinda ate up my time... again, sorry. Yell if you want, it really won't affect me. This is a hobby, and if you flame me I will simply giggle at you for caring so much about friggen fan fiction :).

Anyway... um... back down at school now (w00t!) and taking a MUCH lighter course load than last year, so maybe you'll see more frequent updates from me. No promises. I will say that this particular chapter took forever to write. I'm serious, I have 9 different versions of this, all of which are over 8 pages long. I'm still not completely satisfied with this one, but if I am going to move on with the story I might as well post the darn thing. It is a bit shorter and covers less story than I had originally intended, but if I can get it behind me I think I will have an easier time getting the next chapters out faster. So, there you go.

Apparantly, some of you don't like the title. Yeah, it sucks. Keep throwing ideas for a new one at me in a review and I'll take them under consideration.

FYI, I will post the next chapter to my other story before the next chapter in this one, cuz 1. Other story is easier to write, 2. I know exactly where other story is going, 3. Next chapter in other story will be a lemon (and thus you all will read, admit it or don't but you know you will).

And lastly, things you should go read:

Shnoosh's new story Tomorrow is Another Night - one of my fav authors here, and that story deserves waaay more than 18 reviews. Come on, people, it's good stuff!

Prinder's The Pandemonium Moment - I read the first chapter, got a little confused, and stopped reading. Then later I went back and read further, and I'm glad I did. Very interesting concept and very well written, again, it deserves many more reviews than it has.

And on that note, on with the very late story!

Disclaimer: Scarred Rose doesn't own Chrno Crusade.

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Chrno looked up expectantly at the door as a set of feet approached. Twitching an ear, he tuned in on the light footsteps for a few seconds before sighing and giving up. The gait was wrong, it wasn't her.

Looking dejected, the little devil painfully propped himself up against the headboard and squirmed out from under the covers. Before he'd been cold, but now he was almost burning up under the thick quilts. Kicking the last of the sheets off the edge of the bed, the demon glanced at the door and listened in silence as the person in the hall passed by.

His gaze remained on the door for several seconds, bloody and raw under drooping lids. He was tired. So tired. And completely drained. Where was Rosette?

He knew she had been here; her sweet smell permeated the room and completely saturated his blankets. Not only that, he also had some fuzzy memories of cuddling something warm and soft as he slept; something with a steady, soothing heartbeat. _Maybe she went for dinner…_ The demon sighed again and let his eyes run down his body, taking in the mess of blood, sweat, and bandages. He had seriously thought he was going to die there for a while, but it seemed that fate wasn't done kicking him around yet.

After all, he still hadn't heard what Rosette thought about yesterday morning. If the cross barrier hadn't done him in, that sure as hell would.

Chrno absently started picking at the wrappings on his dead hand, trying to distract his mind from wandering down that road. However, he couldn't seem to stop himself from hurtling down into the pit of "what if?" The thoughts were pestering him terribly, swirling and circulating like flurries in an angry snowstorm.

_Does she hate me?_

_She's going to feel betrayed; it'll take years to fix that, if it's even repairable at all._

_I am lower than the lowest slime on this planet._

_Is she going to be afraid of me?_

_Pathetic worm, can hardly even stop himself from raping his own contractor…_

_What choice does she have except to feel terror? _

_Will she trust me anymore?_

_She's going to loathe you, you odious creature._

_She just can't forgive me for this._

A look of profound loss wormed onto the demon's face and made a nest, refusing to be kicked out no matter how hard he tried to focus his attention on tearing up the cheap cotton bindings. His brows furrowed and he started chewing on his chapped bottom lip as his sharp claws sawed easily through the bandages, catching small patches of skin in the process. Where was she?

"Rosette…" It was a plea, as if he could summon her up from nothing by simply whispering her name. "…please…"

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Rosette's boots connected with the ground in a hollow, thunking rhythm as she traveled along the cobblestones between buildings. She ducked her head slightly as the path wound away from the overhanging roof of the cafeteria, closing her eyes as the cold drizzle began to drop onto her hunched shoulders.

Funny how the weather sometimes matched her mood perfectly.

The nun made it halfway to the dormitories in complete silence and darkness, save for the sound of her feet marching stolidly onward and the ever-present ticking of the pocket watch. She passed one of her fellow sisters and mustered a monotone greeting; finally opening her eyes back up as the guest dormitory loomed ahead of her.

The girl gradually slowed her steps, eventually coming to a complete stop without even realizing it. Unconsciously her eyes climbed up to the third story of the imposing building in front of her, then slid to the fifth window from the right.

_Yep, that's where he's at…_

She gazed at the window blankly, occasionally blinking her azure eyes to clear them of the cool water falling from the sky. The chilly dampness of the day was starting to get to her, and she finally dropped her eyes back to the ground, shuddering slightly.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She muttered quietly, hugging herself as she began to walk again. "I've gotta snap out of this. He needs me to be there and be strong…"

That sounded easy enough. She could totally handle that, right?

Yeah. Right.

"Just think of it as returning a favor." She murmured quietly to herself, remembering all the times she'd leaned on her tiny demon friend as a solid pillar of support. The memories brought a weak smile to her lips, and she swiftly grasped onto the tiny strand of warmth before it fluttered away into the wind. The nun quickened her step, letting her newly captive happiness swell and grow; reluctant to stop thinking about the comforting memories lest she relapse into her previous state of worry and despair. She knew that for the upcoming encounter she'd need all the warmth and comfort she could get.

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Chrno's head shot up and he eagerly took another whiff of the air wafting into his room from under the door. His crimson eyes widened in recognition and he stopped ripping at his injured arm, planting his good right hand on the left side of his body and leaning towards the door.

"Rosette." It was a whisper, breathy and barely audible; but still managing to convey that said girl now held the demon's full and complete attention. He trained his ears on the hallway, straining to make out each footfall as they slowly but steadily approached the door. He whined and bit down lightly on the inside of his cheek; the anticipation was killing him. Finally she reached the door and came to a stop, making a loose floorboard squeak as she shifted her weight.

"Hey, Chrno?" The voice was muffled by the door; but the heavy knocking, in true Rosette style, was anything but quiet. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Chrno answered, immediately realizing that his voice was still silent as a whisper. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Yes, come in."

Time seemed to slow down as the door swung open on its un-oiled hinges, complaining quietly into the uncaring air. He saw her fingers first, ungloved as they curled around the edge of the door, pushing it inward. Next her head came into view, sans wimple and with slightly damp hair. Her eyes twinkled briefly as they first caught and reflected the green glare of the cross barriers, looking unnaturally flat for the fleetest of instants. The light from the hallway shone through and was amplified by the tiny water droplets clinging to her hair, creating a temporary halo.

The demon blinked, shaking his head slightly. When he looked back, the angelic image was gone; replaced by his contractor, looking chilled and squinting as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. "Chrno?" She asked quietly, peeking into the gloom.

The demon stared at her for a few seconds longer, feeling his stomach coil up in anticipation. "Over here." He responded. "Please come in."

Rosette obeyed silently, entering the room without a sound and turning to close the door softly behind her. Chrno watched nervously as she turned toward him, gulping and forcing a small smile before advancing towards his bed. He watched her come, studying her every step. The gentle back-and-forth sway of her hips, her uncharacteristically straight posture, and her silence all revealed her discomfort; even more so than the carefully blank expression that she wore.

The demon felt his heart sink at the sight of her, and let his gaze drop back onto his sheets as she passed through the cross barriers. Listening to the soft sounds of her footsteps, he only looked back up again when she was at his bedside, offering up a weak smile and scooting over so she could sit.

Rosette stared down at her partner, noting how he quickly glanced away as their eyes met. He didn't appear to be much better than he had earlier in the day; in fact it looked like he'd managed to do some more damage to himself. She sighed, glancing over his scratches and coming to focus on the top of his head. The tips of his ears were drooping a little more than usual, and he still wasn't looking at her.

Finally, the nun took a seat on the bed; folding her hands in her lap for a few uncomfortable seconds. From her position, she could more easily see the state of Chrno's injured arm. It made her grimace. As the demon's eyes slid towards her she found she couldn't stand it anymore and reached out, gingerly picking up his shredded arm and pulling it into her lap; where she began gently running her fingers over the torn bindings.

"Chrno…" She said softly, looking up at her partner and dropping the mask of careful calm that had hidden her face since she entered the room. "Why did you do this to yourself?" She struggled to keep the worry out of her eyes, but it proved to be a wasted effort.

Taking a breath, she then tried to keep the approaching tremors out of her hands by reaching out and smoothing the bangs out of her demon's face. Touching him was always soothing, and she seemed to gain back some semblance of control by doing it. The green light in the room was muddying his normally piercing gaze, and she couldn't exactly tell what emotions were swimming behind it. She fixed him with a pleading stare, desperately wanting to know his thoughts as her hands dropped back into her lap.

A full five seconds passed, during which the demon simply stared at his contractor. Her expression reminded him of the night that Joshua was taken from them; scared, confused, lost. There was more hurt in her face today, though. It made the guilt rise in his throat, so intense that it seemed as tangible as bile before a vomiting episode.

"…Had to." The demon muttered finally, not really sure how to put it more eloquently. He continued studying her face, feeling his own expression fall as she looked back at him; clearly not satisfied with his answer. He let the silence stretch for a few seconds longer, and with it grew his desperation to be forgiven. "Rosette," He whispered, slowly setting his good hand down on top of hers. "I'm so sorry." The gravity given to each word was mirrored by the extreme sincerity that suddenly flooded his features; giving him that rare ancient look. "I give you my most solemn word that I never meant to hurt you in any way." He ducked his head, allowing his crimson orbs to close. "Please, if you can, forgive me."

The nun blinked twice, completely floored by the utter remorse contained in her companion's last set of statements. In a brief flash she was reminded of the night their contract was forged; a demon of infamous strength, power, and violence completely prostrating himself at the feet of a tiny human girl. Placing himself completely under her influence and swearing to safeguard her, no matter what. For the fleetest of instants when the clock was sealed for the first time, she saw his soul; though she'd never tell him that. It was her first real glimpse at him without any screens or filters, and the first time she truly witnessed the immense pain and regret that he kept carefully locked away. He was so reluctant to let other people carry his emotional baggage that times like the present; times when he revealed himself entirely were completely shocking and devastating. It hurt her deeply to be reminded that he still felt such anguish over the events of his life. But the pangs were especially strong because she knew that this time, she was the one responsible. She had caused the grief and ache so evident in his posture; the sorrow that plastered his childish face.

"Oh, Chrno…" She whispered, knowing now that there was absolutely no chance of stopping the tears. Feeling her bottom lip start to tremble, the girl reached out and pulled the demon tightly to her chest; fighting the spasms in her diaphragm. She closed her eyes tightly and buried her face in his hair, holding onto his back as if he'd disappear if she ever let go. "Chrno, what are you talking about? You'd never hurt me. Not ever."

Chrno stiffened slightly, not trusting the truth of her statement. He was deep into self-loathing mode right now, and was highly bent on not coming out of it.

The nun swallowed harshly, running her hands up and down his back as if to make sure he was really there. She wanted him to stop hurting. She wanted everything to be better; for all the badness that plagued them both to go away at least for once in their lives. But most importantly of all, she wanted for some mysterious external force to take care of it all for them, as she had just been struck with an extreme wave of fatigue. The path that had been set before her; fighting demons and the end of the world to get her brother back, all while slowly dying at the hands of her best friend; it all suddenly seemed to be too much. She felt tiny… insignificant… far too small and fragile to handle such a mind-bogglingly huge task. With a sudden wave of certainty she became convinced that if her partner could no longer stand with her, she would fall; spiraling down into some black and inescapable abyss. It was in this mindset that she slipped into a rare un-Rosette moment, allowing some of her own internal weakness to slide to the surface. "Chrno, I'm still your little girl…" She whispered, barely audible in the all-but-silent room. "No matter what happens or what you do, I'll always need you. I'll always care for you, and I'll never hold anything against you. I owe it to you as my friend, my partner… and …as someone… I…"

_Love_

She was interrupted as a thin arm smoothly encircled her middle, and she felt the light weight of a forehead press into her collarbone. The slight warmth of a sigh temporarily warmed the cloth over her chest, something that would normally turn her face a most unhealthy shade of pink. Today, though, she was completely convinced of the innocence of the gesture, and so let it slide by; unchallenged. "I don't know how you can so easily ignore some of the monstrous things I do." He murmured, voice cracking slightly. "I'm always amazed at what you humans are capable of forgiving. If I ever do something beyond what you can tolerate, then I truly do deserve to burn in the most rotten pit of hell." The girl could mentally picture each expression rolling across her demon's face, though it remained hidden from her actual gaze. Slowly, the nun started combing through his hair with her fingers, trying to be as soothing as possible. She wanted him to continue, wished fervently for him to trust her enough to keep talking, to allow her to come as close to him as she had the night of the contract. After a few moments of silence, the demon continued speaking; though his voice grew smaller and harder to recognize with each passing word. "Rosette, I don't know how you can stand to pardon an old sinner like me, but I am so… completely grateful that you can." Slowly, and with obvious pain the little demon lifted his head off of his contractor's shoulder and raised his raw, crimson eyes up to meet hers. "I think that if you couldn't forgive me I'd… break…" The blonde was stunned. She gazed over him, dumbfounded at the expression of vulnerability, pain, and tenderness that emanated from his every feature with the most sincere honesty. She had wanted close, this was definitely it. He was absolutely mesmerizing, and she could do nothing but stare at him for several amazing moments, letting her mind tick over the underlying meanings of his choice of words and tone.

_Chrno, I love you so much, I…_

_Love you too, Rosette. With all of my being and everything that I am. _

What happened next seemed to be the only natural thing for either of them to do. It wasn't magical, it wasn't accidental or cheesy; but it definitely was special. Their lips met softly for the span of a single breath, Chrno raising his good hand to wipe the tears from Rosette's face as they pulled away. It wasn't terribly romantic, but was instead born out of a deep understanding and appreciation of the other person. It was a symbol of caring, of love; but not love in the traditional sense. Whatever it was or was not, both of them would look back on it later as one of the most beautiful events they could ever experience; and neither would rather have shared it with any other person.

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It was rapidly approaching three o'clock. Chrno had been asleep for a good hour now after Rosette had gently prodded him into getting some rest. He had, of course, finally closed his eyes and become dead to the world while still leaning on the nun's shoulder; the exact position he had assumed after the fully odd but utterly right kiss they had shared.

Rosette had gently eased them both back onto the bed and was lying next to him on her side, her arm resting on top of his with their fingers loosely connected. She didn't want this day to end, because she knew that as soon as her demon woke back up and they were forced to face the world, they would both pretend as if the events of the past two hours never happened. Each of them would reconstruct their carefree facades, re-shingle the roofs that kept the insults off of their heads, and wall themselves off again inside the mental chambers that hid everything real.

In a way, she looked forward to going back to being cheerful Rosette, who on occasion smacked her little demon friend around, ate too much, and played too hard. And yet, part of her wanted so badly to stop running and just sit for a while with her Chrno. While she pined to get Joshua back, she knew deep down that there was really no one else she'd rather be with than her tiny devil. The moments when they slowed down and actually looked at one another, really took the time to talk and touch each other; those were some of the most treasured times in her life.

Shifting slightly, the girl sighed; but quickly smiled as the demon's fingers curled reflexively tighter around hers. If there was ever a moment she wouldn't mind being frozen in time…

The three quiet knocks that sounded on the door quickly sparked the girl out of her thoughts. "Who?" She muttered quietly, half to herself as she quickly sat up, straightening her clothes and hair with her free hand.

"Chrno?" A voice called from the other side of the door. "This is Father Remington. Are you awake?"

Rosette glanced down as she felt the mattress move next to her, noting that Chrno had both of his eyes open and was slowly starting to sit up, grumbling something along the lines of "I am now…" quietly to himself. She gave a slight tug on his hand, as if reminding him that he was still holding on to her, and smiled gently as he glanced at her. The demon returned her smile, giving her fingers a light squeeze, but refusing to release them.

"Chrno?" This time the voice was unmistakable. Sister Kate. "Are you up?"

Rosette's expression suddenly went from warmly comfortable to scared and slightly irritated. "Chrno, let go." She hissed, pulling her hand more harshly towards herself. The demon tugged back, easily reminding her how much stronger he was, and turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised and a slightly playful smile on his face.

"Let her see." He said simply, before turning to the door and announcing in a louder voice; "Come in."

Rosette winced as the door started to open, muttering into his highly sensitive ear, "Just wait 'til you're not all burned up anymore, Chrno, just you wait." The demon grinned; seemingly glad to hear a death threat from his feisty contractor. More than likely, that meant that the two of them were square again. Though it seemed fairly stupid to doubt that fact anymore; no matter how much the little demon thought he didn't deserve her forgiveness he had it anyway. He was truly blessed.

Rosette scooted to her partner's side, letting her legs dangle off the bed and crossing them daintily, trying to look as presentable as possible. The demon trailed his thumb lazily across the back of her hand, mentally telling her that she looked fine; and always did. In fact, he actually preferred the unkempt look sometimes, enjoying the fact that he could see her body a little better than usual and that her head wasn't covered by a wimple. He hated those bloody things.

The demon had to repress a small, triumphant smile at the priceless look of shock on Sister Kate's face as her head came around the door. Quickly recovering, she fixed an extremely disapproving gaze on the young, blonde nun, and pushed the door open wider so that Father Remington could enter as well. The priest took one look and chuckled good-naturedly, patting Sister Kate on the back before advancing through the cross barriers.

"Good afternoon." He said warmly, smile spreading at the little stare-down going on between the two nuns in the room. "Are you feeling any better today, Chrno?"

"Somewhat." The demon answered shortly, warily eyeing both Sisters, and wondering which one was going to jump on him first. If looks could kill then right now he'd be spinning over a spit with an apple in his mouth and a stick shoved up…well, you get the point. Suffice it to say that Sister Kate was not pleased, and that got Rosette's hackles up.

"Well, how about we get started, then?" Remington asked, eager to diffuse the situation before it came to screaming and blows, as was usually the case in disagreements between Rosette and Kate. Watching the fireworks was fun, but with the size of this room it was fairly likely that he'd catch a stray blow or two in the fray; and that didn't sound too appealing.

The priest started by pulling the single chair in the room away from the wall and offering it to Sister Kate; smiling meekly as she momentarily turned the death glare on him. After an extremely polite staring contest, the older nun finally sat, huffing and glaring grudgingly at the pair on the bed.

Disaster averted.

"Well now," Remington said, turning to look at the young nun clinging to the tiny devil. "Rosette, if you wouldn't mind giving us some privacy for this meeting?"

The girl's glare immediately shifted from Sister Kate to the taller and more comforting priest. All the intensity dropped out of her big, blue eyes and was replaced by confusion and a little bit of apprehension. "What are you going to do to him?" She inquired in a low voice, unconsciously leaning closer to her companion.

"Nothing." The priest responded with an amused sounding chuckle. "Unless you consider a good, long talk to be hazardous to his health, I'm sure Chrno will be completely unharmed."

Rosette blushed a bit in embarrassment, feeling stupid for worrying. Of course they wouldn't do anything to her demon… his name had been cleared, right?

"How about you go get some dinner before it gets cold?" Remington prompted, "You can grab some for Chrno as well, we should be finished up here by the time you're done eating."

"Are you sure about that?" The voice was tiny and surprised everyone in the room, for its owner had been all but silent this entire time.

Rosette turned to look down at her demon, obvious puzzlement covering her face. He looked back up at her, raising an eyebrow after a few seconds had passed and she still didn't seem to get it.

"It was a joke." He murmured, quirking one corner of his mouth up in a smile. "How about you eat at half-speed today so we have time to cover everything up here?" Nudging her gently with an elbow, he smiled fully and winked.

The girl's face quickly dropped into irritation and she swiftly stood, glaring down at her partner with suppressed wrath. "Ha ha, Chrno. Fine, I'll go eat, but no cookies for you."

The devil tried to hide his grin, and mostly succeeded. The idea of a little girl threatening him by taking away a cookie… that was probably the funniest thing he'd heard in a few weeks. "Alright, go eat." He said in a good-natured tone, slowly releasing her fingers from his grasp as she turned to leave, maintaining the contact until her fingertips gently slid off his before dropping his arm back down to his side. The girl exited the room quietly, glancing meaningfully at her partner before closing the door and heading for the cafeteria.

It wasn't until the demon heard the 'click' of the door closing that he allowed his gaze to fall down to the floorboards. He. Was. Hurting. Letting the breath blow out of his lungs, he hunched forward slightly, shoulders drooping and a wave of pain rolling across his childish face. Wow, was unconsciousness the only way to stop the terrible screaming of his raw and exposed nerves? It felt like he was on fire… again. He allowed himself to give in to the feeling for only a few fleeting seconds before gritting his teeth and forcing himself upright again, bringing his blood-tinted gaze to bear on the priest and the nun, who were eerily backlit by the glow of the cross barriers. The expression on the demon's face was something like that of an enraged and powerful god. He was clearly ready to maim, eviscerate, and kill anything that crossed his path; and the incubus was at the top of the list.

"Tell me everything you know."

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	8. Chapter 8

Hey all!

Lookit!! I updated both my major stories within two days!! DEATH TO THE WRITER'S BLOCK!!!

You guys like the new title? I took some good advice from a reviewer (angel-kamui) and changed it.

So, this is a fairly long chapter. This is also a very dark chapter. The incubus is an _evil_ bastard. If you don't like that type of thing, don't read it.

Aside from that, I have to say that I'm really happy because this is my first story to get over 10 reviews per chapter:) It would be really nice to keep it that way... (hint hint, nudge nudge). It would also be really nice to get over 10 reviews per chapter on my other major story "There is a Future", which you should read if you're looking for more fluffy stuff. I had a question about the cross barriers in the last chapter... basically imagine a nice doughnut of holy energy surrounding our dear Chrno's current position and preventing any evil energy from getting to him. That was the point of it, and it will come to play in this chapter.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my reviewers! I heart you all!

SR

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Chrno yawned and tugged the comforter over himself, flipping over to stare at the twinkling stars through the window. His eyelids were heavy with sleep, and he knew he needed it; but it was still hard for him to actually let go of his thoughts about the events of the day.

The discussion he had with Father Remington and Sister Kate hadn't revealed much of anything, really. All they knew was that there were five other girls besides Rosette and Margaret that had experienced nocturnal visits from someone that looked very much like him. None of the girls could definitively say whether or not those visits were dreams, just that they all had a dream-like quality to them that made them seem unreal.

The violet-haired demon had very little to add to this information himself, only that the incubus seemed to be connected to him somehow. That, and whenever the scum visited Rosette it caused Chrno feel drained, almost as if the astral he borrowed from his contractor was being sucked right out of him.

_It just doesn't make sense…_

The demon sighed. He'd been mulling over this for the past few hours and was getting nowhere with it. He needed more information, but right now they just didn't have any. As another bout of yawning hit him, the devil decided to turn his brain off and call it a night. Maybe something would come to him tomorrow.

Chrno leaned up slightly to fluff his pillow, and then collapsed back down onto it, closing his eyes and hoping that sleep would come to take him soon. As he began to drift off, his mind floated absently over one of the better memories he'd made that day. The Kiss. The corners of his little mouth twitched up briefly as he quickly relived the sensation of Rosette's soft, full lips against his own. She was warm, yielding, and beautiful; and if there was any miniscule chance the battered old demon hadn't fallen for her the moment she first grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of Mary's tomb, then it had definitely happened tonight. Within minutes the sinner was asleep and dreaming of blue eyes and golden locks of hair.

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The corridors of the Magdalan Order were silent and still, as they were every night at midnight. No sound issued from any source, no light betrayed a sleepless wanderer, and no one would have ever suspected that there was actually someone awake in the dormitories. This someone moved about in complete stealth, padding along the halls with unnatural grace in the all-but-utter darkness that shrouded the convent like a thick fog. They made no wrong turns and never changed the swift pace of their steps; smoothly avoiding all obstacles and not hesitating once. The target of this unnaturally silent person was in the guest dormitory, hidden behind a thick wooden door and encased in protective holy energy.

If anyone was awake and watching, they might observe the figure of this mysterious person; a teenage girl, approximately 16 years old, as it briefly wandered through a patch of moonlight shining through a window. As the girl approached her destination, she slowed her pace and consciously lightened her footsteps; as if aware that the person in the room she was headed for had unbelievably acute hearing. Reaching the door, she turned the knob slowly, almost painfully so, before easing it open and slipping inside with all the secrecy of a ghost.

Once inside the room, the girl moved toward the cross barriers at the pace of molasses, clearly not wanting the demon currently sleeping in the bed to wake up and notice her. After coming to the first cross imbedded in the floor, she reached down and gingerly began pulling on it, tugging firmly and steadily until the wooden floorboards relinquished their hold on it; and the small piece of silver popped free into her hand.

The barrier that this cross had been a part of flickered once, made a small fizzing noise, and promptly died; dramatically decreasing the illumination in the room. At this miniscule sound, Chrno's ear wiggled and he took in a deep breath; still mostly asleep. In doing this, his subconscious caught an unusual scent. It was someone he knew… but what was it doing in his room? Slowly, the demon rolled over and cracked an eye open, trying to wake himself up to further examine the problem of the odd smell. As the room came into focus, he noticed a figure crouched down in front of the one remaining cross barrier… wait, one? Now thoroughly confused, the demon opened both eyes and sat up slightly, peering down at the person until realization dawned.

"Sister Margaret?" He asked quietly, observing the nightgown-clad nun for any sign of a reply. There was none. Looking closer, the demon began to determine that something was not right here. First off, what would Sister Margaret be doing in his room this late at night? Secondly, why were her eyes closed? And lastly, what was she doing with the cross barrier around his bed?

"Sister Margaret?" He tried again, but still no response. Rising carefully onto unsteady feet, the demon winced and advanced cautiously towards the girl, who was working diligently on… something on his floor. Three steps away from the crouching nun, the demon finally realized that she was trying to dismantle the barrier; quickly deducing that she had already taken down the first one. Fear immediately flooded his veins, cooling and waking him up faster than a shower of ice.

"Margaret!" He called, a note of urgency in his voice. "Stop!" He advanced towards the barrier again, taking two more steps before noticing the imposing shadow that loomed over the good sister's shoulder. The breath caught in his throat as full realization hit, but he only had a few seconds to start going over options before the last barrier blinked off, and the malevolent shadow rushed at him like a bat out of hell.

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Sleep. It was evading her like demons dodging holy water. Maybe it was because she'd already had a nap that day… or because her brain simply refused to shut itself off. The last three days had been filled with more excitement than the last three months, and that fact refused to quit pestering her.

Rosette rolled over for what must have been the seven-hundredth time that night, groaning about not being comfortable. Unfortunately, the night didn't seem to care and still neglected to give her brain the rest it so desperately desired.

_My first kiss!! _Her mind exclaimed for the umpteenth time, subsequently followed by a gratingly girly mental squeal.

"Oh, shut up already!" The girl grumbled, clearly annoyed. "It wasn't like that…" Her fingertips drifted up to her lips, touching them lightly. A moment passed as she remembered the heart-stopping instant when her demon had leaned up… and oh the sight of him was wonderful… and given her the most memorable gift she'd ever received. At the time it hadn't seemed like such a big deal, just the most natural thing possible. But now, with time and an irritatingly wild imagination her brain was inventing entirely new parts to the story. Things young nuns shouldn't allow to occupy their thoughts… things like what could have happened _after_ that auspicious kiss…

"AAAARRGGGHHHH!! I SAID SHUT UP!!!!" The girl screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed, fists clenched and ready to pound someone, anyone into submission. Unfortunately, her mind was not exactly something she could hit… but it wouldn't leave her alone! It was infuriating!!

Knock. Knock.

Rosette immediately slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes rolling around to stare at her door. Applesauce… she didn't mean to wake anybody up. "Sorry!" She voiced quietly from behind her hand, mentally berating herself for yelling in the middle of the night. After a brief pause, the gentle knock came again. Rosette gulped, visualizing a fuming Sister Kate looming on the other side of the door with a rolled-up newspaper, ready to dish out a beating for disturbing the convent's peace.

"I said I'm sorry!" Rosette called apologetically, wishing she could disappear into her sheets. "I'll do double chores tomorrow!"

Silence. Then a third round of polite knocking traveled through the door to land in the girl's ears. Rosette screwed her eyes shut and contained the small string of curses that she wanted to voice out loud inside her head. _Why does this always happen to me? I'm gonna get Chrno for getting me in trouble like this…_

Reopening her eyes, the girl let out the breath she'd been holding and called out a quiet "Come in.", fully resigned to being on the receiving end of a stern talking to. Slowly, her door swung open, revealing the dark maw of the hallway. From it, a small figure emerged and poked his very distinct head into her room. "Is this a bad time?"

Rosette blinked, surprised to see her little demon out of bed. "No," She answered, forcefully shoving all of the evening's previous mental hijinks out of her mind. "Come in."

The demon flashed a small smile, moonlight glinting brightly off the white of his canines as he entered the room and shut the door silently behind him. Rosette watched him curiously, noting that he had to limp a little while walking but otherwise looked to have healed fairly well.

"What are you doing here, Chrno?" She asked, trying to ignore the strange sensation of nervousness crawling up her spine. The air had definitely changed in here.

"I wanted to check on you." The demon murmured innocently, sitting on her bed and looking deeply into her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I…" Rosette responded, starting to lose herself in the bottomless wells of his eyes. "Uh…" Her stomach churned, mouth going suddenly and inexplicably dry as she continued to stare into his searing crimson orbs. She could barely feel that inkling of apprehension anymore… it must have been nothing. Yeah, she was just imaging it.

"Rosette?" The demon asked, a note of concern rising into his voice. "You look a little flushed." He reached out, gently running his fingertips across her face. "Not still upset, are you?"

God, his voice was liquid silk; his hands setting her skin on fire… Why? Her thoughts must have been running wilder from that stupid kiss than she thought. The girl swallowed, an action that seemed to take much more effort than it should, repressing a sudden delightful shudder. Why was she getting so… bothered by her partner? He was just sitting in her room, asking how she was. That was it. End of story. So what if he was here in the dead of night with the door closed... no one around to walk in on them or even hear their conversation… no one around at all…

This train of thought had to stop. She couldn't think like that… _Chrno…_

"Not mad." She managed, albeit a bit breathily, completely taken in by the sensation of the demon's hand on her face. _I have to snap out of this… feels so good… mmmm_

Chrno smiled immediately, almost as if he had never really doubted her answer. "Good." He replied, rewarding the obviously transfixed nun with a light caress on the cheek. "In that case I brought you something." His smile widened, eyes narrowing to a degree that suggested volumes. "Can I give it to you?"

Rosette gasped, mouth opening slightly as a blush rose to her cheeks.

_Want…that…want… him…_

A shallow nod was all the nun found herself capable of, the rest of her body seemingly rooted in place by ten-ton weights. "Chrno…" She whispered, the name filled to the brim with desire as he leaned towards her, delicately bringing their lips together for the second time that day. An explosion went off in the girl's mind, all rational thought banished to the far reaches of her skull as she allowed herself to become totally absorbed in the kiss. Lips still occupied with the demon, she felt an incredible wave of pleasure wash over her and moaned, allowing all the air in her lungs to rush out with it. As he broke off the first kiss and started the second one she raggedly took in another breath, exhaling this one with the same force as the first and accompanied with the same satisfied noise. She had never felt like this, everything he was doing was so incredibly perfect as to be beyond description. Was this what all the romance novels were trying to describe when the man would sweep his lover off her feet? If so, their petty words couldn't do the sensations justice.

On the third kiss, the demon ran his tongue between the girl's lips, gently but firmly pressing her down onto her bed. She welcomed the action, arms swooping up over his back to pull him down on top of her as she smoothly joined into the action of his tongue, rubbing it with her own and suckling on it until he removed it from her mouth entirely. Her legs were trembling, and she jerked slightly when the sensation of something sliding between them hit her. She squirmed as a set of fingers started moving in a slow line up the inside of her thigh, allowing them to continue their sensuous journey by spreading her legs. With a whimpering sound she started sliding her fingers through her partner's loose hair, breaking away from his kiss and nuzzling into his neck to take in a few ragged breaths.

The girl's actions were met with a low, appreciative chuckle from Chrno, who planted a light kiss on her forehead and slid both hands down to her lower half. The demon then tilted her hips up slightly, pausing briefly to capture her lips again before slowly beginning to rub himself against her core, growling in response to her loud gasp of surprise. She was going to come apart at the seams from the pleasure, moaning as she felt the lump in his pants grow from the wonderful friction his actions were creating. This was better than any of her dreams, this was the best she had ever felt, and she opened her eyes to look up at the person she was sharing this with, taking in the entirety of his small frame. She watched his face, his hands as they traveled along her body, his hips as they contacted hers… He caught her looking at him and smiled, eyes narrowed and expression caught up by lust.

"You're mine." He murmured, "All mine." The girl felt the light dusting of pink grow on her cheeks as one of his hands traveled possessively up to her chest while the other remained clamped lightly to her hip, instructing her when to move. The rough palm cupped her breasts one at a time, squeezing and molding them to its will. Rosette leaned back, pushing her chest up and encouraging the attentions of the tiny demon with half-lidded eyes. The speed of his motion between her legs increased, the sensations driving both of their heart rates up as the hand caressing her chest slipped beneath her shirt to get an even closer feel.

Their eyes locked…

She gasped…

He growled out her name, sliding his hand further under the cloth of her shirt when suddenly…

A spark.

Instantly, Rosette was completely sober. Her eyes flew open, breath catching in her throat as she tried to shove her partner off. As soon as the thought had crossed her mind, though, she found herself pinned to the bed, both hands held above her head in a crushing grip and her legs firmly trapped under the demon's hips. His face was inches from her neck and she immediately tried to scream, only to have it die in her throat as he bit her, hard. The pain hit like a freight train, causing the girl to inhale a huge breath, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she felt her partner's teeth sink deeper into her tender neck.

Her eyes squeezed shut as her struggles began to die. The feel of something warm trickling down the side of her neck and starting to mingle in with her hair slowly sank through the haze of pain and implanted itself in her mind.

_He… bit… me!_ She thought, disbelief clouding her thoughts as her limbs finally stopped moving altogether.

_Why?_

She lay completely still for a few moments, breathing and blinking through the disgusting feeling of blood saturating her hair and beginning to soak her shirt.

_This is just like my dream…_The nun mused, bitter disappointment with a hint of fear settling into her. _It can't be Chrno._

The girl was violently jerked from her thoughts as the demon straddling her body sank his fangs in even deeper, as if putting the period on a sentence. Rosette winced and let out a small breath of air, but found that at this point she wasn't capable of much else. The pain was overwhelming. Slowly, gruelingly, the demon began to withdraw his teeth from her neck, leaving her flesh bathed in a stream of blood and saliva as he freed his mouth completely. He didn't pull back far though, maintaining his fangs a few inches above her milky skin.

"Do not scream." He ordered quietly in a voice Rosette had never heard before. "I am completely willing to kill you now, but I would prefer to wait until I do not need you anymore. Are you going to cooperate?"

Rosette gulped, trembling as the rush of adrenaline died hard inside her limbs. Even in his tiny human form her partner was infinitely stronger than her, and she already found out that struggling would get her nowhere. Realizing that she was inescapably trapped, the girl nodded; silently agreeing to comply and wincing at the pain in her neck. What the hell was going on?

At this action, the demon raised his head up, looking down into the girl's eyes with a hardened expression. The nun blinked hard, it looked like Chrno but it clearly couldn't be him; this person's eyes were a bright, peacock-feather green. His voice was different too, higher pitched and with a dry, chalky sound to it. She was only mildly surprised, but still curious as to how she could have ever mistaken this imposter for her loyal friend.

"You're not Chrno." The nun stated quietly, feeling her head start to spin from the blood loss. "Who are you?"

The demon sitting on her smiled slightly, clearly amused and looking incredibly smug. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid we haven't been formerly introduced." The smile widened, making him look more and more like a cat playing with an injured bird. "Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

Rosette's eyes narrowed, the feeling of helplessness beginning to make her mad. "Where is Chrno?" She asked, voice weak but attempting to be hard and angry.

"Oh, he's around." The demon replied, keeping the irritatingly satisfied smile firmly in place. "But unfortunately for you, he's a bit tied up at the moment and can't come to the phone. Can I take a message for you?"

"Shut up!" The nun replied, ire evident in her expression and saturating each word. "Where is he?"

The demon's smile dropped a bit. "Come now, there's no need for that kind of language. We were getting along so well just a few seconds ago…" The smile disappeared altogether. "But if we are going to drop the pleasantries then I suppose I can tell you where your useless devil is, you filthy little slut."

Rosette felt like she'd been slapped, but didn't let it show on her face. "Where?"

The demon tapped his temple with his free hand. "Up here, darling. I've just kicked him off the controls, that's all. Don't worry, he's watching every bit of this." The triumphant little smile returned again. "However, as fun as it would be, I can't let you speak to him."

The girl clenched her teeth, staring daggers at her captor. "Fine. What do you want?"

The demon's green iridescent eyes circled up and towards the window, amusement playing across his features. "Oh, lots of things I suppose. Power is always good, so is wealth and pleasurable company…" He trailed off, speaking excruciatingly slowly to further irritate the nun. "But want I want is more specific than any of those things." He paused, leaning down to lap up some of the blood flowing from the bite wound in her neck. She recoiled from his touch and received another swift, painful bite for her actions; reluctantly forced to hold still as he traced patterns along her throat with his tongue. Seemingly satisfied with his drink, the demon sat back up and licked his lips before continuing. "What I want is for you to open that pocket watch of yours. It seems that I am incapable of touching it no matter what body I am occupying." A flash of irritation crossed his features, but was gone in an instant. "So, if you would be so kind, I would really and truly appreciate it."

As if to emphasize his point, the demon loosened his grip on the nun's hands, allowing her to slide one out, but keeping the other harshly pinned to the bed. The girl's freed appendage immediately flew to the watch, clutching it tightly. Eyeballing the demon warily, she allowed her gaze to slide down to her wrist, noticing how her pale flesh was already starting to bruise from his crushing grasp.

"Well dear?" The demon cut in quietly, "Go ahead and open it. That's all I want." His shiningly iridescent eyes sought hers out. Finally she looked up into them, a small glimmer of foreboding glowing in the depths of her cerulean orbs.

"What happens if I do?" She asked softly, fingers tightening protectively around the gold timepiece.

"You'll never have to see me again." The demon responded, clearly sensing victory nearby and so dropping his voice to a more soothing tone. "Just a quick little flick of that seal and I'll be gone."

Rosette took in a small breath, trying to focus through the pain and dizziness clouding her head. This bastard had injured both herself and Chrno. He'd made fun of the bond they'd fought to build these last four years, and now he was patronizing her? This cocky bastard wasn't getting anything from Rosette Christopher. She longed to give him a taste of his own medicine, and so after some thought she cracked a humorless smile, answering coyly "Now why exactly would I want to do that for you?"

The demon's eyebrow twitched. "Mortal, you don't want to know what I am capable of doing to you." His voice became frigid. "Open the watch."

Rosette smiled again, pissed beyond belief. "No." Her heart was pounding in her ears as she stared up at the demon mounted on top of her, watching breathlessly as the expression of rage on his face started growing, his grip on her wrist tightened, his dagger-sharp teeth clenched, all color drained slowly from his eyes… he was going to kill her. Swallowing hard, Rosette closed her eyes. She didn't want to see it coming.

A few seconds ticked by as Rosette listened to the sounds of his enraged breathing, shaking breath after shaking breath being pulled in and expelled with the same seething force, the promise of forthcoming wrath heavy in the air. The girl swallowed again and concentrated on the sound of her own heartbeat, letting it drown out everything around her. **THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP…**

A few seconds passed like this, and then a few more. Rosette waited for what seemed an eternity, expecting the biting sting of claws at any time, but never feeling them. Finally, after who-knows how long, she opened her eyes and peered up at the demon.

All traces of anger were gone. He was perfectly calm, regarding her again with his peacock-feather eyes. Rosette let out a shaky breath, massively aware of the fact that he decided to keep her alive. _That means he needs me…_

The demon wrinkled his nose and drummed the fingers of his free hand on the nun's stomach, clearly thinking. Strategizing. Rosette stared back at him, taking the time to think herself. How was she going to get out of this? She'd have to surprise him somehow… it was going to be hard. She'd lost a lot of blood, he was stronger than her, and he had a hold of her by one hand… but she did have a free one. _Think, Rosette, think!!!_

A small smile tugged at the corners of the demon's mouth. It seemed that he had decided on a new means of attack. Leaning down slowly, he gently took a hold of the nun's chin with his spare hand and forced her to look at him. Rosette did so without a fight, defiance reflected in her sapphire blue eyes. The demon's expression slid into one of distaste, his own eyes traveling along her face before he began to speak.

"You know it was me in your dreams, right? I don't expect you'd be stupid enough to not have that figured out by now. Do you think I really wanted you?" He asked silkily, a small sneer rising to his upper lip. "I've seen better breasts on a cow." The incubus paused briefly to let the insult sting, looking down at the girl beneath him with contempt. "Besides," His eyes glinted darkly, "I only mate with fully developed demonesses. It sickens me how your Chrno can be so darkly attracted to a child. Deviancy is one thing, but to feel real lust for a worthless creature like you…" He spat off the side of the bed, looking mildly disgusted before turning his intense gaze back on his captive.

"Luckily there is always some form of satisfaction to be taken from rape…" The demon muttered, breaking into a smile at the cold fear that darted across the girl's face before it quickly vanished behind her mask of composure. "Yes, especially a nun. Do you know how much of a turn-on that is?" His voice lowered, eyes narrowing as he leaned down more towards her face. "To profane something good, pure and holy, that is the ultimate pleasure for any demon; I don't care how righteous he pretends to be." The incubus's eyes slid closed, a sickening smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It's in our blood, darling… Hell, I bet you'd even like it too. I know what lurks around in your twisted little mind… those fantasies of bedding your pathetic, broken contracted."

As the demon's eyes closed, Rosette's started anxiously searching the room around her, hunting for anything that she could reach with her free hand. Before she was angry, but now as the true hopelessness of the situation began to sink in she was beginning to get scared. Death threats she knew how to handle, but this… not even once in her four years of exorcizing demons had the prospect of being dirtied and used like that ever crossed her mind. She needed a weapon…

"Looking for something?" That infuriating chalky voice murmured. Rosette's gaze shot back to his face, noticing that his eyes had reopened. His stare was unrelenting, and she began to panic at the sinister look in his eyes. The nun gulped unintentionally and started squirming again, trying to keep a clear head around the cold grip of fear clutching at her, but having a hard time doing it. "We can't have you escaping now." The incubus whispered, reaching down to try and get a hold of her free hand, which she desperately attempted to keep away from him. "Not when I'm about to have my fun…"

Rosette frantically moved her hand around, barely dodging the seeking arm of her possessed partner. This was getting to be too much, a few small whimpers breaking free from her chest as she struggled to keep at least one hand free. She had to get out of here, _she had to get out!_ The incubus chuckled in delight at his victim's obvious terror, slowing down the movements of his arm to the occasional small swipe, allowing her this small freedom, toying with her. Rosette's breath came ragged, all she could think about was keeping this hand free… it was her last hope… Tears came unbidden to her eyes and journeyed down her cheeks as she avoided yet another grasp of the demon's clawed hand. She had to _do _something!

Her tears seemed to amuse the demon, who laughed harshly and completely abandoned his feeble attempts to grab her arm, instead using his free hand to again grasp her chin and force her to face him. His countenance was terrifying, grinning wide with wickedness and malevolence emanating from every feature. "I'll take what's between your scrawny little legs and make it useless to any other man you love. I'll make sure you never have children." He paused to lick his lips, releasing the girl's face and reaching between them to start pulling at his pants. "I'll make it hurt… oh, you're gonna cry more than you are now. You're gonna fuckin scream, but I'll put a barrier up so no one can get in the door to help you. Your precious Chrno's gonna sit by helpless… and when I'm through with you, you _will_ open that pocket watch for me… or I'll do it all over again. And again. And again. I'll keep it up til you're dead, good sister. That, I can easily swear to your God."

Rosette screamed. She couldn't think of anything else to do in her current situation. The piercing noise filled the room and awoke a few others in the hall. They came running to her door, but when they attempted to open it, it wouldn't budge. The young nun could hear them out in the hall, calling for Father Remington and Sister Kate to be summoned, and she screamed again to let them know how urgently she needed help.

The demon mouting her laughed maliciously, visualizing his victory on the horizon. He straightened up, releasing both of the girl's hands to rid himself of his offending pants; figuring that he'd scared her enough that her struggles would be sloppy and easy to control. After all, she was only a teenage girl, one who wouldn't want to hurt the demon contracted to her anyway…

Mistake number one.

Rosette's scream metamorphosed into a roar. She was scared, running on adrenaline and the desire to protect herself, but years of killing demons had taught her to wait for the right moment. The demon occupying Chrno's body was busy fiddling with the button on his pants, his attention was elsewhere. This was the best chance she'd have. Chrno would forgive her… he _had_ to forgive her…

Stiffening her hands, the girl lurched up and shot her arms forward with a feral yell, burying her thumbs up to the first joint into the eyes of her attacker. His retaliation was immediate, a blow across her face so hard it knocked her clear off the bed. Her head contacted the bedside table with a bone-crunching thunk on the way down, making her see stars and numbing the feeling of the rest of her body hitting the floor. She was disoriented, but couldn't hesitate. Scrambling drunkenly to her feet, the girl pulled open the drawer on the table and wrapped her fingers securely around the gun inside it. She turned and raised the gun, expecting to see the demon still nursing his eyes on the bed, but instead finding him airborne, halfway between the bed and herself, a chilling snarl deforming his face. The girl's reaction was immediate and required absolutely no thought. She squeezed the trigger.

A split second later she was on the ground, hysterically shoving the body of her tormenter off her and clawing her way over to the wall, gun sill aimed at the crumpled form on the floor. At almost the exact same time, the door to her room flew open, denting the wall from the force of Father Remington's entry. He crossed to Rosette's position in three quick strides and smoothly yanked the gun out of her shaking hands as several other members of the militia flooded the area after him.

The nun's body was quaking and bathed in blood, her breath came in small fits, and uncontrollable tears still streamed down her cheeks, but her gaze refused to waver from Chrno's little body. "He's alive." She murmured over and over again, in a voice too small for most of the men to hear. "He can't be dead. He's alive." Remington was barking orders to everyone in the room and a flurry of activity resulted, but Rosette didn't register any of it. "He's alive."

A small twitch moved the body lying on her floor. Rosette stopped breathing and watched, sinking her fingernails into her palms. _It's Chrno. He's alive. _

The hunched form grunted and took in a very juicy-sounding breath. "-sette." It wheezed out quietly, weakly spitting out a mouthful of blood. The girl grabbed her pocket watch and squeezed it tight. She wouldn't open it.

"-sette." It whispered again, bringing an arm slowly up to investigate the hole in its chest. "…" It attempted to speak, but no sound came out. With a clearing of its throat that obviously took a great deal of effort, the demon tried again. "Bacchus."

A flood of white coats entered the room and Rosette found herself being lifted. Somewhat detached from her current reality, the girl looked up at the doctor attempting to get her on her feet, but couldn't understand anything that he was asking her. When she didn't respond, Father Remington walked over and scooped her up, quickly rushing out of the room towards the infirmary and clamping a firm hand over the wound in her neck. They made it halfway there before Rosette's eyes slid shut, the world spiraling away from her so fast it made her dizzy… and then, she was out. Darkness reigned.

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I told you it was going to be dark... like I said, the incubus is an evil, evil bastard.

Next chapter will contain some form of explanation, as Chrno now has a fairly good idea of what is going on. He at least has a suspect anyway. Yes, he said Bacchus, as in the Roman name for Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and good times. You'll see where I'm going with this, trust me.

Be sure to look for a from-Aion's-perspective story from me coming up within the next month. I'm halfway through the first chapter and am really liking the concept so far. (yaoi, anyone?)

As always, please review and have a happy day!

SR


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